Jajangmyeon – Borderless

Written by and translated from Korean by Ihlwha Choi

It disappeared leaving a figure of its own in a picture.

While stealing a glance of me riding a bike, he had an eye on it guessing that it might be a gold-egg laying hen.

He would cut the iron chain of the bike on a piece of cake.

The power of habit pushed away the conscience without any mercy with blind greed.

After kidnapping my child-like bike, he might eat Jajangmyeon like a pig beside the cycle shedding tears.

When I yielded to despair after I had a fit of rage, slowly, I began to pity the thief.

When I said the thief was so pitiful, my seven-year-old daughter looked up to me as if she did not understand me.

 

Eight years have passed.

The bike might have aged and frequently be suffering from various geriatric diseases.

Maybe there are many black spots on its face and its two legs might now frequently collapse.

After hard labor of ten years, it might be covered all over with wounds and be ill in bed under the corner of a fence somewhere.

On the face of the thief, several wrinkles would newly appear here and there.

At midnight, under the starlight, my bike would whisper its heartbroken heart to the neighbour bike.

The neighbour listening to his comrade would also burst out in tears sympathising with his friend's old master.

If I regain the bike, I will forgive him and have supper together.

But I moved to the other village. I revisit very rarely.

When I pass by the old village, one unhappy memory recurs with many other happy ones.

Ihlwha Choi is a South Korean poet. He has published multiple poetry collections, such as Until the Time When Our Love will Flourish, The Colour of Time, His Song and The Last Rehearsal.

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Jajangmyeon Love

JAJANGMYEON LOVE After so long I have found myself at the campus where She would walk alongside that simple good-for-nothing boy With a smile on her face. I had set my sights on her. She, who would always be next to that beastly boy. Anyhow I was attracted to her and even if it was only once I wanted to eat jajangmyeon* with her. I found out her mother suffered from polio, I found out her father had remarried. Would she want to hide her limping mother? As I thought these limping thoughts I wanted to eat jajangmyeon with her. I was a young single man. She was like a bird fluttering here and there. I gazed up to the sky where she soared. After so long I am sitting on the bench I sat on When I was in love with her. Looking upwards and backwards into the sky from the past. In that car park, there are more cars than I remember, As I watch the students walking by, I think to myself Are they junior colleagues of mine? Unable to find part-time jobs they walk hurriedly, Only their footsteps are quick. Could there be among these boys one who holds someone Close to his heart, Without a word, someone he would like to eat jajangmyeon with? Her steps-- they come and go -- have after all this time Reached a crossroad. The traffic lights from the past flicker. Was she the only one I have ever lost? The cars they keep coming the traffic lights are red. *Black bean sauce noodles.