“From what mistake”

Nadia Park

From what mistake
from what joy
have you come?
Light and heavy, the bodies of shorebirds
destroyed wings
truncated tails
emaciated legs and webbed feet
stuck in a grey whirl
precariously lined up
limping, slipping
toward a single destination.
Some dive
eyes closed.
But need to go
must go
to a home 
already gone.

Like an illusion, poetry

When May came,
like an illusion
I saw poetry walking to me.
After the reading,
poets were warmly welcomed.
The glistening moon hanging 
over Changuimun Gate, 
its moonlight illuminating
the old persimmon tree.
Then amid the sorghum field,
I saw the poet’s silhouette.
My heart pounded,
as though poetry had arrived.