Poems by Seungwhan Song

Song Seungwhan is an award-winning South Korean poet-critic. His published poetry collections include Dry Ice, Chloroform, and If You Are Then May You Be. He has also written two books of literary criticism, Sense of Flanc-Garde and Outside of the Whole. He currently serves as a creative writing faculty at Seoul Institute of the Arts.

 

Cyclamen[1]

 

     Green heart green heart green green green

     Red sprout red sprout is red is red is red is reddening is red is red is sprout black dirt black dirt black black and black flowing flowing water flows water dirt dirt flows drip drop death

     Dense and verdant dense and verdant black forest black fire

     Fire dance fire dance fire fire dance dance fire fire dance dance

 

     Under the white sun

 

 

Chloroform

 

     Mic Cyclamen Randy[2] Mic Geranium OISEAU Mic Mic Marcia Mark Reader[3] Record Player Mark Reader Mark Reader Mark Reader Record Player Record Player Record Player Camera Camera Camera From Motor To Generator From Motor To Generator Ether Ether Ether Jackhammer Jackhammer Jackhammer Laser Printer Laser Printer

 

     Chloroform Chloroform

 

 

Geranium[4]

 

     Blue blue red blue blue red azure azure red cerulean cerulean red teal red teal red blue blue red red

     Ultramarine ultramarine red red ultramarine ultramarine vermilion blue red rain rain blue red rain rain red drip red drop rain rain red blue red blue red red red blue blue blue

     Red drip red drop snow snow red drip snow snow red red red blue blue blue blue red red red blue blue blue cerulean vermilion red red red green green green

 

     Above green

 

Field of Pear Tree Flowers

 

     However truly perhaps but a little incredibly close sometimes but even so if that is the case yes almost perhaps and intentionally preferably before cooling off straight through successively therefore more so instead but even so if so sneakily suddenly hoped for out of nowhere slowly but surely day and night altogether only to the end quite possibly barely after a long time till satisfaction no from the beginning merely truly season to season layers upon layers totally too easily very much thoroughly as far as possible abruptly completely soaked unexpectedly all at once indeed in that case solely this way with this without knowing like rushing water by chance here just right by all means unsurprisingly as expected at the pinnacle seemingly easily on its own at the same time increasingly but then unforeseen ultimate actuality unanticipated again of course finally so in that manner at last too incrementally slowly therefore utterly in any way that is pleasing wildly fully without any mistake without fail however truly perhaps but a little incredibly close

 

Looking for Ox

 

    If you are then may you be if it stops if you are revealed if you come to light at last the name will shatter becoming many names however despite it all now at least until now carelessly as such more and more not stopping together in summer in winter to south to north seldomly often to the bottom to the sky to the wind to the eyes forever absolutely supposedly deeply to the left to the right for instance pushing upward bulging as if on the contrary same as always completely vainly close by if not eventually nothing else as if nothing but it is not anything no more no less all together shamelessly same as always no here no there already gently nightly entirely always but not at all supposedly against the norm mostly likely as such desired empty empty desired as such probably mostly empty empty if you are walking out to the end against the norm supposedly not at all but always entirely nightly gently already there here no identically no less no more nothing else nothing at all as if nothing but it is at last or else close by completely same as always on the contrary as if bulging pushing upward at last if you come to light

---

[1] Perennial plant of primulaceae family

[2] Pelargonium Crispum Randy

[3] Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

[4] Perennial plant of geraniaceae family

 

64:04/65:01: Contemporary Korean Poetry

Fall 2021

Contemporary Korean Poetry

https://www.chicagoreview.org/issues/6404-6501-contemporary-korean-poetry/