Poems

Good Poem Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol (South Korea)

I heard what a humble Korean novelist, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature, said:
"At this very moment, at this very hour, as victims of war mourn in two places in the world, I cannot celebrate myself on winning the Nobel Prize in Literature."

I thought to myself that what she said was one of the best poems I've ever heard.


The Lesson of History
Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol (South Korea)

The long history of the world can be condensed into a short tale.
Wars were waged, many people died, and property was burned, but little was gained.

I heard that on an island, when conflicts arose, they would place an axe in the middle of the negotiation table.
Whenever anger flared during talks, they would gaze at the sharp edge of the axe.
If the sun set while negotiating, they would continue their conversation by the fire.

Peace requires patience, much like a large shoebill that stares at its prey in the water for hours without moving.
Peace demands even more patience.

Conversations carried forward by patience sweep away the thick soot of night.

With the will for peace,
there will come a time for young lovers,
when the brilliance of diamonds is placed in the palm of a lover's




About the Poet
Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol is a Korean author, poet, translator, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He was born in Jeju City, South Korea, in 1964. He began writing in 1993 and published his first short story, "Song of Shuba," at the age of twenty-nine. In 2005, he published a collection of short stories. He has won four literature awards and has published more than eight books. He was a member of the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International from 2009 to 2014. He also served as the Founding President of the Korean Association of World Literature and as an editorial writer for JeminIlbo, a newspaper in Jeju City, Korea. Currently, he is a Vice President at the Korean Institute for Peace and Cooperation.