The Milky Way Bridge floating in the sky; you gaze at the eastern star; I’ll head towards the western star

Ms. Ah Young Lee, a poetess from Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, shares her poem

Ms. Ah Young Lee was born in Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and completed the creative writing course at Chung-Ang University’s Graduate School of Arts. She made her debut in the quarterly magazine ‘Free Literature’ in 2001. She served as a director of the Free Literature Society, a member of the traditional culture committee of the Korean Contemporary Poets Association, an executive of the Korean Contemporary Poets Association, and an executive of the Open Poetry Society. She has been active as a member of the Korean Literary Association, a steering committee member of the Buddhist Literary Writers’ Association, an advisory member of the Chung-Ang University Literary Association, and an advisory member of the Continental Literary Association. Additionally, she is a member of the Korean Writers’ Association, the Ieodo Literary Association, an executive of the Gangbuk Branch of the Korean Literature Association, and the vice president of the Korean Association of the World Literature Association. She has published poetry collections such as ‘A Globe in the stone mortar’, ‘Bamboo Rain on Flower Day’, and ‘Chickweed Root Moss’. She won the Pure Literature Award and the Open Poetry Award.

The Milky Way Bridge

The Milky Way Bridge floating in the sky

You gaze at the eastern star

I’ll head towards the western star

 

In front of the distant star cliff

Frozen star footprints

With eyes closed, I imagine the time and space where we will meet

The story of you and me

Beyond time

Beyond space

The words, words, and words we couldn’t say in this world

Scattered daffodil petals in the air

 

In the Milky Way library where starlight hides

Your and my photo essay

Who else could read it if not you and I?

 

The sound of earnest prayers echoing

In the backyard of the Milky Way library

Countless golden stars pour down

My thoughts embraced by you

***

은하수 다리  

 이아영

 

하늘에 떠 있는 은하수 다리

당신은 동쪽 별을 바라보고

나는 서쪽 별을 향해 갈게요

 

먼 별 낭떠러지 앞에서

얼어붙은 별의 발자국

눈을 감고 우리가 만날 시공을 상상해요

 

당신과 나의 이야기

시간을 넘어

공간을 넘어

이 세상에서 못한 말들, 말들, 말들

허공에 흩뿌려지는 수선화 꽃잎들

 

 

별빛 숨어있는 은하수 도서관에서

당신과 나의 포토에세이

당신과 내가 아니면 누가 읽을 수 있을는지

 

간절한 기도문 소리 울리는

은하수 도서관 뒤뜰에서

수많은 황금 별이 쏟아지고

당신 품에 안겨버린 나의 상념들

____________________   

Read: To Everyone, Falling Rain – Poetry from Korea