Miscellaneous records on Korean poetry, culture, and more.

  September — by Ko Young-min 그리고 9월이 왔다. And then, September arrived. 산구절초의 아홉 마디 위에 꽃이 사뿐히 얹혀져 있었다     Blossoms rested lightly atop the nine nodes of the wild *Gujeolcho* (Siberian chrysanthemum). 수로를 따라 물이 반짝이며 흘러간다     Water shimmered as it flowed along the channel. 부질없은 짓이겠지만   누군지 모를 당신들 생각으로     꼬박 하루를 다 보냈다     It may have been a futile thing to do, but I spent the entire day thinking of you—whoever you might be. 햇살 곳곳에 어제 없던 그늘이 박혀 있었다     이맘때부터 왜 물은 깊어질까 Patches of shade, absent yesterday, were now embedded here and there in the sunlight. Why is it that, around this time of year, the waters seem to deepen? 산은 멀어지고 생각은 더 골똘해지고     돌의 맥박은 빨라질까     As the mountains receded and my thoughts grew more profound, did the pulse of the stones quicken? 왕버들 아래 무심히 앉아     더 어두워지길 기다렸다     Sitting idly beneath a great willow tree, I waited for the darkness...

 "Jealousy Is My Strength" / by Ki Hyung-do                                          질투는 나의 힘 / 기형도 作  After a very long time has passed, 아주 오랜 세월이 흐른 뒤에 A feeble bookmark will let this paper fall. 힘없는 책갈피는 이 종이를 떨어뜨리리 For in those days, my heart built so many factories— 그때 내 마음은 너무나 많은 공장을 세웠으니 Foolishly, I had so much to record. 어리석게도 그토록 기록할 것이 많았구나 Like a dog wandering slowly beneath the clouds, 구름 밑을 천천히 쏘다니는 개처럼 I lingered in the air, never tiring. 지칠 줄 모르고 공중에서 머뭇거렸구나 I possessed nothing but sighs; 나 가진 것 탄식밖에 없어 Gazing at my youth standing on evening streets, 저녁 거리마다 물끄러미 청춘을 세워두고 I marveled as I counted the days I had lived. 살아온 날들을 신기하게 세어보았으니 No one feared me, 그 누구도 나를 두려워하지 않았으니 And the substance of my hope was nothing but jealousy. 내 희망의 내용은 질투뿐이었구나 And so, for now, I leave this brief note here: 그리하여 나는 우선 여기에 짧은 글을 남겨둔다 My life wandered madly in search of love...

 The Ugly Doll                                 <By Na Tae-joo> Cute precisely because you’re homely— A face with tiny, scrunched-up eyes. Oh my, you look like you’re about to burst into tears any moment. And yet, I love you, little one. I love you. ------------------------------------------------------- If I were to look deep into the heart of someone distressed because their desires remain unfulfilled and unresolved, surely I would find nothing but what is worthy of love! I ought to look at the people I encounter today with that same grandmotherly gaze. 못난이 인형                                         <나태주 作> 못나서 오히려 귀엽구가 작은 눈 찌푸려진 얼굴 애게게 금방이라도 울음보 떠뜨릴 것 같네 그래도 사랑한다 얘야 너를 사랑한다.

Like Ghosts at Play in the Water                                     <By Shin Yong-mok> From a distant estuary, the night is finely stitching the earth’s bursting river waters with a needle of moonlight. The wind—like ghosts at play in the water. Come now— Why is it that thoughts are seen more clearly in places unseen? Come now— The karaoke sign—where the mouth of thought bursts open to sing—fades out. --------------------- Modern Korean poetry is incredibly difficult... Elusive—half-understood, half-unknown... It seems to offer comfort, yet perhaps it doesn't... Or is it simply my own heart, startled by the surprise?

 **Second Book: *Always Remember* (Original Title: *Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm*, 2025, Charlie Mackesy)** In this sequel to the first book, the same four friends once again wander through the wild, this time facing a major ordeal: a **storm**. Although they still travel without a specific destination, the approach of dark clouds and the storm brings a deeper exploration of inner anxiety, self-doubt, and frustration. The boy, in particular, is plagued by thoughts of inadequacy and unlovability—represented by a negative voice in the form of a weasel—but he overcomes them through the unconditional support of his friends. The horse reveals its wings to carry the boy above the storm, and once the tempest passes, they find hope and self-love alongside a rainbow. The core messages are: "You are loved, and you are enough just as you are," "Storms pass, leaving friendship and hope behind," and "Be kind to yourself." - It is...

 A Story About Picture Books Picture books beloved by a rural reading group! I first encountered the book *The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse* on the recommendation of a fan of Charlie Mackesy . I picked it up without expecting much, but I found myself reading it once, twice, and then a third time! As I read the story of four very different creatures setting out on a journey together—getting to know one another, deepening their friendships, and growing—I discovered the unique charm of a "fable for adults," offering something special to grown-ups caught in the relentless cycle of competition and success. Two years later, through the second book, * Always Remember* , I witnessed how they overcame life's storms through friendship and saw those bonds grow even deeper. It was a time that offered comfort and warmth to everyone. Both books are filled with touching, brief passages and beautiful illustrations throughout. The second book, in particular, seemed to deliver an ...

  End-of-Day Homeroom                                      By Shin Yong-mok Whenever words I longed to speak welled up from deep within, I would place a piece of ice in my mouth. Just how searing must that heat have been... The water resembles a burn scar that flows downward forever. Like diving, day after day, into the same water with an ever-heavier weight attached. I remain within the window, inhabiting a body into which a heavier life dives, day after day. 종례                                            신용목 作 배에서부터 하고 싶은 말이 차오르면  입안에 얼음을 넣었다. 얼마나 뜨거웠으면..... 물은 영원히 흘러내리는 화상 자국 같다. 매일매일 같은 물 속으로 더 무거운 추를 달고 뛰어드는 것처럼. 매일매일 더 무거운 인생이 뛰어드는 몸으로 창문 안에 있다.

 Today, I drove into the city to accompany my wife to her routine check-up at the women's clinic. Her anxiety has increased since giving birth to and raising our three children, so she prefers that I go with her to these appointments. Fortunately, the results were good, and we enjoyed a meal of barley rice together. We stopped by "Doro Coffee"—known as a hotspot for egg tarts in Wonju—to pick some up. Back home, I brewed some Peru Geisha coffee for my wife to enjoy with them. I bought them because the shop is reputed to be the best in Wonju, and the texture is closer to pudding. It’s a flavor my son would love. 

Entrance                          by   Rainer Maria Rilke Whoever you are: in the evening step out of your room, where you know everything;  yours is the last house before the far-off:  whoever you are.   With your eyes, which in their weariness  barely free themselves from the worn-out threshold,  you lift very slowly one black tree  and place it against the sky: slender, alone.   And you have made the world. And it is huge  and like a word which grows ripe in silence.  And as your will seizes on its meaning,  tenderly your eyes let go

 Weekly Gratitude Log 1. The *Sangsahwa* (resurrection lilies)—which I feared had died during the drought—bloo med in abundance, filling the garden bed. 2. Saffron flowers bloomed beautifully in the crevices of the stones in the yard. 3. I hosted a happy meal for an elderly couple; it was an engagement that felt a bit daunting, yet one I knew was essential. 4. My three children’s break ended, and they returned to university and school. Liberation! ^^ 5. The massive task of weeding our 1,000-pyeong yard was successfully completed.

            A Shiny Day                                             By Na Tae-joo Because the day was clear, I knew you would come. It is the very thing my grandmother used to say whenever I visited her humble cottage as a child— stepping out through the open door to greet me. Today, I repeat those same words to you— young and lovely— who have traveled from afar to visit me. Because the day was clear, I knew you would come. 맑은 날                 나태주 作.. 오늘 날이 맑아서 네가 올 줄 알았다. 어려서 외갓집에 찾아가면 외할머니 오두막집 문 열고 나오시면서 하시던 말씀 오늘은 멀리서 찾아온  젊도고 어여쁜 너에게 되풀이 그 말을 들려준다. 오늘 날이 맑아서 네가 올 줄 알았다.

  Delia Owens’ 《Where the Crawdads Sing》 balances rich natural imagery with a deep exploration of solitude, resilience, and love. Here are the core themes and memorable quotes from the original text: On Solitude and Love "Love is too often the excuse for pain. But real love makes you feel safe, not small." Kya’s gradual understanding of human connection contrasts sharply with the betrayal and abandonment she faced throughout her youth. "Kya laid her hand upon the breathing wet earth, and the marsh became her mother." Highlighting her profound connection to the land, this reflects how nature filled the void left by her family. "Loneliness has a way of becoming a part of you, like the air you breathe." Captures the quiet, persistent nature of isolation that defines Kya’s life in the shack. On Nature and "Where the Crawdads Sing" "Way out yonder where the crawdads sing. Just means far out in the bush where critters are wild, still actin' l...