On the black basalt wall
Of Aewol,
A single vine leans its body
Toward the sea.
Oh Sowho is a poet, translator, poetry reciter, and literary educator based in Gwangju, South Korea. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Chonnam National University and an M.A. in Korean Language and Literature from Honam University. She made her literary debut in 1993 through the Korean literary magazine Literary Space and gained wider recognition when her poem Arriving Suddenly at Doripo won the poetry prize in the Mudeung Ilbo New Year Literary Contest in 2001. Oh Sowho is the author of five poetry collections, including Jomkkotmari (2005), Permeation, A Dot of Blue, Walking with My Schwabing, and Meditating on Erik Satie and a White Stone (2022). She has also published translated poetry collections in both Korean-English and English-Korean editions. Her literary honors include the Gwangju Literary Award (2022), the International PEN Gwangju Literary Award (2013), the Digital Literature Prize (2022), the Kang Hang Literary Prize (2022), and several major national poetry awards. She has received multiple creative grants from regional and national arts foundations in Korea. In addition to her writing, Oh Sowho has served as a university lecturer, poetry recitation instructor, literary judge, and translation editor. She is a former head of the Korean-English Translation Team of International PEN Gwangju and has participated extensively in literary exchanges, poetry exhibitions, and cultural programs. Her poems often explore memory, nature, silence, travel, and the subtle spiritual connections between the human heart and the natural world. She is currently working on new poetry projects, including Love Song of Wuzhen and the English-language collection The Sea Inside a Berry. Oh Sowho is recognized as a Korean Master of Arts and Culture and continues to contribute actively to contemporary Korean literature.
Wild Grape Vine
On the black basalt wall
Of Aewol,
A single vine leans its body
Toward the sea.
Feeling its way through the wind
Lodged between the stones,
It slowly learns how high the light can reach.
One green.
One blue.
One violet.
Ripening in different rhythms,
Within a single cluster
Yesterday’s sea,
Today’s sea,
Tomorrow’s sea
Lift one another’s colors into bloom.
Whenever sunlight passes,
Each tiny berry
Quietly,
Once again,
Sets
The sea of the world
Trembling.
개머루
애월의 검은 돌담
그 위로
덩굴 하나
바다 쪽으로 몸을 기울인다
돌 틈에 남은 바람을 더듬으며
천천히
빛의 높이를 배운다
초록 하나
파랑 하나
보라 하나
익는 순서가 달라
한 송이 안에
어제의 바다
오늘의 바다
내일의 바다가
서로의 색을 밀어 올린다
햇빛이 지나갈 때마다
작은 열매 하나
조용히
세상의 바다를
다시
떨리게 한다
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