Bicycle

Pedaling on a blue bike, paean of breezy winds bumping along the road

Rumbling sounds of SUVs and pick up trucks passing by, rowdy kids jumping into the lake half naked

Roaring laughter fading away, riding down a long lonely road in between the animate and inanimate nature

Blazing through a carpet of gold laden by the bleeding yolk of the sunset

Rolling stone within the heart spins faster and faster, unleashing the monster hunkered for a thousand of years

Then — whirl — and — crash.

A reaper stands on the door expressionlessly peaking its bald skull over the door sill.

Like a dusky cloud on a simple summer night.

6.17.2020

Ticket

Everyone has their last shot

To shoot at someone

And everyone is pointing their target with their weapon at all times.

No one knows when it will trigger,

And no one knows when they’ll change their target.

Whether what comes out of their weapon is a teardrop, am innocent smile, or a sharp loaded question, no one knows.

You kneel and pray that you’ll come out of safe and sound.

But the rule is, everyone points to something at all the time.

6.14.2020

Empty Room

Staring into the room across the street from mine in the middle of the night was one of my habits for the past few weeks

Tonight, I realized that the room was empty. I could no longer see the person back of her head staring into her wide screen monitor as she consoled her loneliness throughout the night.

Tonight, I stared into the empty room lit with a warm yolk color light, beaming as if to welcome the lonely eyes that had become a regular to this space.

Staring into the room across the street from mine in the middle of the night, I wondered where the previous occupant will be staring into her blue monitor tonight.

6.9.2020

Sunshine

May this light be always visible to you. Albeit a short moment, as I close my eyes, I seem to be still seeing the silhouette of your face as you blindingly brightly smiled

And I wished that I had given you

That note I wrote on a white tissue as the sun was setting over the horizon

When I met you riding a bike on the cross walk in a middle of night,

I wish I had said,

Thank you.

언제나 그대에겐 이 빛이 보이길. 아주 잠깐이었던 순간이지만 정말 환하게 미소 짓는 그대의 모습이 아직 눈을 감아도 보이는듯 하여

그날 저녁에 노을이 서서히 지어 새하얀 티슈에 썼던 그 편지

그대에게 드릴걸

어두운 저녁에 걸어가다 횡단보도에서 마주친 자전거 탄 그대에게

고맙다고,

인사라도 드릴걸

이제와서 입 다십니다.

5.30.2020

Run

If you don’t know where to go, just run. Keep running, you’ll be out of breath, you’ll be out of sweat, you’ll be out of sugar in your arteries. Still, just run.

If you don’t know when to stop, just don’t stop. Carry your body on and on and see where it takes you. When you’ve been through and through, what could be the worst thing that could happen?

If you don’t know who to ask, just ask yourself. Kneel. Pray. Work. Eat. Sing. Sleep. When you’ve done all those things, who knows what might happen?

5.28.2020

Scent

You know,

just like how the crimson sunlight caramelized a forest of tall dull-white buildings,

just like holding that book open in an empty library watching those buildings among dusts suspended in the air,

just like that aroma of coffee dancing in the atmosphere to the cadence of that jazz,

just the scent of that flashing smile shook my heart too fast to realize

that it’s been always buried deep within for too long of a time.

You know.

5.26.2020

Wailing

Waking up once again, as my eyes are blinded by the screaming sunlight,

I dare ask: why? why such pain?

I’d rather say, ‘When a lightening bolt strikes on a sunny day,

Would you dare claim, “ignorance is a bliss?”’

Yet the darkness comes back, embracing the burn wounds, and whispering calm zephyrs

Saying, “grit your teeth, churn your soul, strike the roaring iron with a full-gripped hammer,

“Tomorrow’s a new day, a chance to grapple with your fate. Build your world, breath your dreams”

The darkness and light dances it’s ephemeral flight.

5.25.2020

White

I glanced at my hands,

Skin is thicker than I remember,

Bones hardened with blows I endured more than I can bear.

Bittersweet wrinkles are the ones that stare back at me now.

Crimson sun rising beyond dark blue sky reminds me again: it ain’t over yet.

Perhaps I’d need to tear off this white shirt

Run with bear feet a thousand mile

And shout with wills of the thousands that passed out behind me

I am here!

8.1.2019

Sword

Stranger, hold on to that vine, you are

Stronger than you believe, a

Soldier of resilience and unquestionable triumphs.

Whirlwind spins around you faster and

World blinks and turns and

Whiplashes blindspots impassive and strong

Real man holds it in, they said.

Still, have you seen these tears?

Here, hold on to your dream, my dear.

7.31.2019