Thursday, February 25, 2021

Snow and sky

After three years at a village schoolhouse, even a dog can recite a poem. (Practice makes perfect!)
~Korean proverb


Some excerpts of Korean poems about snow for Poetry Friday. (But maybe they aren't REALLY about snow.)

Snow
by Kim Jong-hae
translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid
Snowflakes are light,
for they carry each other on their backs.
The falling snow is comforting.
read the rest here

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The Snow Day
by Kim Nam-jo
translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid
The Winter tree
and the wind–
the wind’s long tress of hair
hangs all day long on the edge of the branches

like transparent laundry,
making the tree and the wind
become one, no longer isolated from one another.

Not alone.
Nobody is alone.
Neither am I.
In fact, even when I stood alone under the sky,
hasn’t the sky at least stood with me?
read the rest here

************

The Salted Mackerel
by Park Hoo-ki
translated by Chae-Pyong Song and Anne Rashid
The night a poor father sleeps, embracing a pitiful son,
the night a child sleeps, dreaming of a dry blanket and a hot dish,
the night the big sorrow sleeps, embracing the small sorrow,
read the rest here

************

Karen Edmisten has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Karen!

18 comments:

KatApel - katswhiskers.wordpress.com said...

I would love a poetry serving of snow over here, Tabatha. We've had days of in excess of 105'F here this week. And still no rain. So your snow (You yourself are getting snow? Is it bad? Or beautiful?) would be doubly welcome and useful! (And I'm getting the feeling that many Americans would happily see the backend of a snow flurry!)

Sally Murphy said...

These are beautiful, Tabatha. Like Kat, I'm still in the midst of summer (though I love it hot), but I have seen the terrible snow storms in the US, so it is nice to see the beauty of the snow in these poems - and this line is perfect "hasn’t the sky at least stood with me?'

Standing with you from afar.

Janice Scully said...

These were all so lovely. The last poem told such a sad story, such a sad glimpse. And in the first, the idea of of the wind hanging at the end of the tree branches resonated. Great post.

jama said...

Thanks so much for sharing these -- I know so little about Korean poetry in general, and these were lovely. The last one, sad, is staying with me . . .

Linda B said...

So much beauty, then sorrow, in these, Tabatha. Because of our recent snowstorm, there was news of how many children were out in it, teens on the streets. Some were trying to gather them at least for the night. that last poem is so sad. I know everywhere there are children who need help & wish we could solve that. I love the other poems, too, the "Watching the snowflakes rub their cheeks/upon one another’s backs is pleasing" is such a new image. I will look next time! Thank you, and Happy Birthday on your big day!

Linda Mitchell said...

The first poem is so pretty. So affectionate to the reader. The second is kind of blunt...take it as it is poem. I like both. Sweet and salty are always a good mix.

Jone said...

Oh, I love the snowflakes poem. So beautiful.
Happy birthday.

michelle kogan said...

"The Salted Mackerel"has the sting of life written in it's lines, and in the picture too. Snow seems to have much symbolism in the other two poems. I liked the sensitivity and the last line of "Snow""As the snow falls, I wish I could carry someone with me,"Thanks for sharing them Tabatha.

Mary Lee said...

Our snow is being washed away by rain, but poetry doesn't let us forget that once we were cold. Thank you for broadening our/my horizons!

laurasalas said...

As I was reading your post, my husband came downstairs and said, "Did you know we're supposed to get 2-4 inches tonight? Winter weather advisory!" I love that second poem especially--The Snow Day. Gorgeous!

jan godown annino said...

We are so far from snow falling on backs, cedars, or centipedes and it's transporting to spend time with these gifts of snow visits, dear Tabatha. I laughed about the quote on dogs & memorization. Wonder if cats would ever memorize anything, hanging around a schoolhouse. You retrieve such varied & thought-provoking ideas from 'round the Wonder World. hugs & happy birhtday month!
~~ Jan/Bookseedstudio

Bridget Magee said...

Thanks, once again, for broadening my poetic horizons, Tabatha. :)

Kay said...

These are beautiful poems about snow. My favorite line-the wind's long tress of hair.

author amok said...

Thank you for introducing me to this website, Tabatha. I love the togetherness expressed in these poems -- the snowflakes carrying each other and rubbing their cheeks against one another, the parent and child huddling together on a night of bad winter weather.

Karen Edmisten said...

Wow, that last one really hit me. Whoosh! Thanks for these.

Matt Forrest Esenwine said...

These are such incredible poems, Tabatha! Beautiful, thoughtful, sad, personal. I've never seen poetry quite like this...thank you for enkightening us!

Ruth said...

Lovely snowy poems!

Robyn Hood Black said...

Gorgeous - thank you for sharing, Tabatha. (Like others, I was especially touched by that last one.) Stay warm....