After I Left Korea
My heart began its million year fast
late night rendezvous unfound
peeks darkened street corners
final subway trains
eternal Saturday nights
drunken Seoulites fight snowy midnight taxis
find movie theaters
hair salons
24 hour speed ramen
noraebang, spas
until 530am trains
bring new days.
My heart traveled Busan bullet trains
devoured beach film festivals
watched bad Korean movies
non-descript streets,
crooked, stone cobble alleys
corner markets glimpsed
simmering sundubu fogs glasses.
My heart flew across the Han River
drank overpriced appetizers at The Havana Monkey
friends crowded plastic covered booths
dodged Psy’s Gangnam hagwon students.
My heart closed its meditation eyes
Buddhist temples chant 3am
remember times kept alive
friends’ laughter dines on Korean BBQ, gogi jip
smoky, poorly lit January street kitchens
My heart felt August cold air conditioners
monsoon flooded shoes
July sweat drenched heart memories
coming going friends
revolving subway doors
My heart’s million year fast
stays alive
after great grandchildren hearts
awaken buried memories.
Return to Sender
*Since 1953, Korea has sent over 150,000 children to the USA via inter-country adoption. Due to a loophole in the Child Citizenship Act, there are numerous inter-country adoptees living without US citizenship. Some have been deported to their country of origin.
Korea exported me to America
Before I could speak my name.
Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Better Life, education
Forever family bruises
denied me US citizenship.
Homeless, absent high school degree
starvation shoplifts
military time served
America’s Promised Prison Land
Deported back to Korea
Incheon Airport lobby
solitary confinement persists
no Welcome sign
not even a환영합니다
family reunions surround me
mother’s bouquet
embraces graduated daughter
No arms encircle my ghost body.
Korean streets handcuff
my life sentence
birthland homesickness
leftover kimchi barely sustains
midnight Han River bridges
protect my frozen soul
brain resists foreign language
들어오세요
throat chokes syllables
language is life
도움말
Let me survive.
My lifeless sentence.
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