It made me smile for a moment. It’s a twenty-year-old language.
Jang Jeong Sun, an eminent poetess from Korea, the Land of Morning Calm, shares her two poems
Poetess Ms. Jang Jeong Sun graduated from Daegu University of Education and received a master’s degree in Korean Language Education from Yeungnam University Graduate School of Education. She worked as an elementary school teacher. She made her poetry debut in 2016 with the monthly magazine ‘Simunhag’. She is a member of the Korean Simunhag Association, Korean Modern Poets Association, Korea Literary Association, Korean Literary Critics Association, Korea Healing Literature Association, and Ieodo Literary Association. She received the ‘Korea Literary Critics Association Award’, ‘Baekun Literary Award’, ‘Korea Healing Literature Award’, and ‘Korea Healing Writers’ Association Award’. Her poetry collections include: Finally Sunny (2020), and ‘Overcoming the Last Night (2023).
Twenty-year-old language
It made me smile for a moment.
It’s a twenty-year-old language.
Its skin is as soft as sun-dried cotton.
It’s the strong scent of coffee that makes it difficult to sleep.
It is a line of poetry that serves as a guide.
It’s the lively melody of a freshly baked CD.
Strong like a walnut shell,
Not shaken by the cry of a black cat.
The white nape of the neck shines even in the twilight.
They are the wings of the wind that advance uphill, etc.
Writing a letter even in a blizzard.
Turning on the street lights every day.
For a twenty-year-old language,
I need to hang up my white dress.
***
스무 살 언어
장정순
잠깐 나에게 눈웃음 지어 준
스무 살 언어는
햇볕에 말린 솜처럼 보송보송한 피부다
잠 못 드는 진한 커피 향이다
길잡이가 되어주는 시 한 구절이다
갓 구운 CD의 통통 튀는 선율이다
호두알 껍질같이 강하다
까만 고양이의 울음에도 흔들리지 않는다
어스름 속에서도 빛나는 하얀 목덜미다
오르막으로 전진하는 바람의 날개 등이다
눈보라 땅에서도 편지를 쓰며
날마다 가로등을 켜는
스무 살 언어를 위하여
하얀 드레스를 걸어두어야겠다
***
It’s finally sunny
The thoughts that were hanging around that day,
The tears that accumulated because I couldn’t sort them out
I guess they left
Letting go of this heavily suppressed time,
The whole yard is full of guests.
I can’t delay.
I need to choose light and sturdy shoes and prepare to meet them.
The lilac color is bright on the white dress.
The bright yellow butterfly that was flying in and out of the canvas is also spreading its wings.
Today remains as a handful of memories,
Even if it’s like the wind
To avoid being paralyzed like a scarecrow
Love parrots and light red reeds must also be welcomed.
I finally
Learning loving eye contact
Jump up from the bench
***
드디어 맑음
장정순
그날 축 늘어뜨렸던 상념과
정리하지 못해 고였던 눈물이
떠났나 보다
이런 무겁게 억눌린 시간을 툭 툭 털어버리니
온 뜰은 손님으로 가득하다
지체할 수 없다
가볍고 탄탄한 신을 골라 마중 채비를 차리자
하얀 원피스에 라일락 빛이 화사하다
화폭을 드나들던 샛노란 나비도 날개를 펴고 있다
한 움큼의 기억으로 남는 오늘이
설령 바람 같을지라도
허수아비처럼 마비되지 않으려면
사랑 앵무새와 연붉은 갈대도 맞이해야 한다
나는 드디어
사랑스러운 눈 맞춤을 배우며
벤치에서 벌떡 일어난다
___________________
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