Tag Archives: poem

Flowers of a Moment: Poem 83

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저쪽 언덕에서
소가 비 맞고 서 있다

이쪽 처마 밑에서
나는 비가 그치기를 가다리고 있다

둘은 한참 뒤 서로 눈길을 피하였다

-고은

there on the slope
a cow stands being rained on

here under the eaves
I’m waiting for the rain to stop

after a while we avoided each other’s gaze

-Ko Un

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This is poem 83 from Flowers of a Moment, which is a small volume of poetry by Korean author Ko Un that I am currently translating into English.

 

 

Dog Delay Afternoon

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Ambassador Mark Lippert
with the flight crew was curt
when his beloved pet hound
kept his trip on the ground.

 

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If you are curious about the story behind this one, please refer to this link.

http://www.koogle.tv/media/news/us-ambassador-mark-lippert-tardy-over-pet-dog/

Five For My Eye: III

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tears drip on cold brisket
in a not quite empty room
where broken toys snivel
at thoughts of sweaty arms
and flimsy sheets while wondering
where the dollhouse went

Ma doesn’t know that
I sneak out on Doko days –
those Mondays of madness when
honeyed tricks sift onto brandy
laced tea cups and pinched skin

on Skalitzer Street sooty soldiers
dust my feet in darkness
above me
peach silk
peach knees
below me
brown shoes
brown earth
above her
white light
white clouds
below her
yellow hair
yellow stars

we look on
we look on

you are lost to us

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This is the third in a series of five poems inspired by the photography of Constantine Brassaï.

Flowers of a Moment: Poem 70

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달걀 밖 어미닭
달걀 속 병아리
그들은 온통 한 몸이라네

-고은

outside the egg is a hen
inside the egg is a chick
they are entirely one body

-Ko Un

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This is poem 70 from Flowers of a Moment, which is a small volume of poetry by Korean author Ko Un that I am currently translating into English.

I must admit that some of the poems that I worked on this morning proved to be quite a challenge.

Over the Ridge

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Silent night
Unholy night

Beneath the silver popping trees of yuletide, scarlet
spotted pearls lie shivering beside frost covered hazel eyes.

Twisted twin crescent moons grimace at scores of faceless
souls strewn upon fate’s sanguine stage before perishing
within the enslaving silk of the Great Spider Above.

What I tell you three times is true.

 

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*edited after initial posting

Flowers of a Moment: Poem 49

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초등학교 유리창마다
석양이 빛나고 있다

그 유리창 하나하나가 실컷 신들이었다

-고은

 

the setting sun shines through
each elementary school window

every one of those windows was an illimitable god

-Ko Un

 

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This is poem 49 from Flowers of a Moment, which is a small volume of poetry by Korean author Ko Un that I am currently translating into English.