“I will read from the first book picked at random from my book shelf…” I said to myself hoping for inspiration. “2007’s approaching and I have not made even the smallest list of New Year Resolutions.” I closed my eyes, meditated for a moment, my hands caressing the treasured rows. The book I blindly chose was not too big or small, its surface new, firm, as smooth as satin, I brought it close to my face, I felt its freshness and detected a subtle fragrance of sweet citrus…
I opened my eyes and read the title: “We miss each other even when we are together” a collection of poems by Sook Ryeo Kang. Originally written in Korean her poems were translated into English by the collaboration of Allen Sutterfield and Jong Nan King.
Like seeking scent in a field of wild flowers, in Sook Ryeo Kang’s poems and the excerpt from the Authors Preface, I discovered my new year resolutions.
JUDGING
©1997-Sook Ryeo Kang
Some of us are generous in judging, others are stingy.
Whether beautiful or poisonous, we say “That’s life.”
Even pursuing beauty our greed makes us suffer.
We want to be wild flowers but we do not leave our familiar gardens.
I don’t want to hurt others with my judgments.
I want to have a mind free of judging.
AS WIND PASSES
©1997Sook Ryeo Kang
we don’t see what we should see.
We open our mouth: words flow eloquently,
Yet we don’t say what we should say.
We open our ears: sounds surround us
But we don’t hear what we should hear.
If we see properly we miss what we should not see:
It’s a lucky day.
Sometimes no response Is the best thing to say.
Often the best sounds are those not heard.
I’d like to live with eyes that know how not to see.
MIRROR OF THE MIND
©1997-Sook Ryeo Kang
In other minds
what colors reflect?
Late at night
I look at the reflection
in my mind’s mirror.
Dusty haze,
“residue of a busy life.”
I look again, intently,
embarrassed at my easy justification.
Spoken words –
they should be morning light.
I fold my handkerchief
carefully cleaning
mirror of mind
From the Author’s Preface:
©1997-Sook Ryeo Kang
“I don’t want to stumble over the pebble in a foolish way. We must let go of things in our past and even things of the world in our present. A new fullness is possible when we have empty hands. I want a life that is full in a way that is independent of things – full in emptiness.”
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