*

Hananim,

May the coupling
be gentle & kind ~

two hands clasped
in a prayer of remembrance,

forgiveness, faith,
a knot of old wood

in a deep-rooted
pine…

let our halmonis stitch
the two cloths of our country

together with patient,
wise hands.

Let the thread be song.

Let the needle be
our children,

nara a fabric
of memory,

mountains
like green skirts,

one rabbit moon
watching to see itself

rebirthed…

let us remember
we are brothers

let us remember
we are sisters

let us remember
we are blood
we are kin

let us
sit over soju &
macculi

until we loosen
our uniforms

and laugh cross-legged
over anju, reek of garlic

and Hope
slap cards on the table

in hat'toh, saying

asssalabia!

jot'tah!

aishigo!

let us gamble
& let us all win
this game ~

my blood,
my family, my friends…
let us cry

and hold tight
and become

shikku again.

~ han pitchul, han sarang ~ * ~ one blood, one love ~


O Corea, my beloved ~
where are we racing to?

split like geminis,
it's no surprise

all our fast computers
& cellphones

can't transport us away from
our ghosts & orphans

yes, we must
carry our brothers

on our back into this new world ~
the ones we abandoned

on the road to color tvs,
condos, Samsung, KFC….

We be kin, brethren,
I sing this lovesong

for You and You
and You…

East – West Dong -- Suh
South – North Nam – Buk

Jeollado Kyungsando Jejudo
diaspora orphan twin –

we all carry this ache
under our skin.

Tonight,
I raise my cup

to Us,
tattooed by history

with the same lullabies
& laments & lovesongs

to celebrate
the simple fact

of our survival –

yes let our children
greet us

like issil
into a new dawn.

amen.