The verses below, in Sonnet form, are written in honor of Hector Torres, a UNM professor killed five years ago. This Easter Monday would have been his 60th birthday.
In Memory of Hector Torres
Today is your birthday, Hector, and we can’t
Celebrate — that is our dire tragedy.
Those who welcome you in their unknown land
are blessed with inconspicuous majesty.
60 years of age you would be today,
but still look like 35 — forever young
in your youthful ways to work and play
Life’s Love Song Eternity has always sung.
Body and Mind beamed with near perfection,
as you walked through life with mysterious beauty —
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
as if you knew the power of resurrection
saves those who die in the act of duty.
The fist and the knife still leave time for reflection,
but the sudden bullet shatters the mind’s protection.
Sincerely,
J.L. Oberst
UNM faculty
