Those who fail to forsake themselves
Cannot step outside the world.
For days now,
The city has been trapped in fog.
Kim Kyung-sik, a poet from Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, shares his poem
Poet Kim Kyung-sik, also an essayist, was born in 1957 in Boeun, Chungcheongbuk-do. A literary enthusiast from a young age, he pursued his passion for reading and writing throughout his life. After graduating from the College of Education at Chungbuk National University, he worked as a high school Korean language teacher. He made his literary debut as a poet and essayist through the quarterly journals Dasiall Literature and Story Literature. Following his retirement, he devoted himself fully to writing poetry and essays, while also leading a literary workshop for seniors. His contributions to the arts have earned him the Bucheon Arts Contribution Award and the Dasiall Literature Award. His publications include two collections of meditative essays, A Scene Hanging in the Heart and Companionship, as well as a poetry collection, Silent Words.
Foggy City
The river has disappeared,
Only the sound of water softly spilling over the banks.
Roads setting out to find the river
Retreat forlornly,
Never taking a single full step,
Turning back from alleyway branches.
The only way to cross boundaries
Is to abandon color and shape.
The birds hastily erase their wings,
Slipping into the walls of the void.
Those who fail to forsake themselves
Cannot step outside the world.
For days now,
The city has been trapped in fog.
***
안개 도시
강이 사라졌다
물소리만 찰락찰락 둑을 넘고 있을 뿐
강의 행방을 찾아 나선 길들은
큰 걸음 한번 내딛지 못하고
골목 입새에서 쓸쓸히 되돌아왔다
경계를 건너는 유일한 방법은
빛깔과 형상을 버리는 것
새들은 서둘러 날개를 지우고
허공의 벽 속으로 스며들었다
끝내 저를 버리지 못한 사람은
세상 밖으로 나서지 못하고
벌써 며칠째
도시는 안개에 갇혀 있다
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