Green Onion Flowers by Ji Hye Shin Fighting off darkness
Before the bread of dawn, Dad rises
In the onion field, the young flowers of the green onions rise
and fall
Dad gathers bunch of darkness, warms himself with it like a
stove
"Let me see"
Then he readily pulls up the onions one after another, ties
them in bundles
Ever-greenish sap keeps oozing like tears
As he makes bunch after bunch at the break of dawn It the basement of jamsil Department Store
I see the fathers who have tied the tough world into bundles in
ther Places
They gather from all corners, sit around the fountain
I hear them talking about the green stories in the midwinter
onion field
Inside their eyes,the white flowers of green onions wave hi
Daughters, like the grass flowers blooming at the feet, ask Dad
"You want us to buy a pair of thermal underwear for you?
Your jacket is too thin."
"That's Okay. I can manage."
Waving aside dozens of times
US poor daughters Father drops in the apple of his eye
The outdoor performance gets started
Krum dance troupe spinning round and round
The music band playing under the evening glow
Father sings six-word tune
On the hilltop of his singing heart
I suddenly see all the green onion flowers showing off in white
blossom
And I shed a drop of acrid tear - Translated by Andy Kim
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