Photo by Woo-Hee Kim
Roll the Baby on the Pan
What do you want to eat?
I want to be healthy.
Roll the baby on the pan.
It doesn’t have limbs.
Roll the baby on the hot pan.
It is wearing a round hat.
It is burnt and gets shrunken.
The white body is darkening and sizzling.
It finally drops a drop of tear, and then stays still.
What is that?
Help yourself.
What is that?
It is healthy.
I want to be healthy.
Roll the baby on the pan.
It doesn’t have limbs.
Roll the baby on the hot pan.
It is wearing a round hat.
It is burnt and gets shrunken.
The white body is darkening and sizzling.
It finally drops a drop of tear, and then stays still.
What is that?
Help yourself.
What is that?
It is healthy.
Her 1
She has a heart full of tears.
Her heart is crying, crying, and crying in silence.
She says hi to me with the sunken and heavy heart.
She has forgotten to cry out, and she smiles like crying.
I want to whisper to her eyes very quietly,“it is OK to cry”.
She will cry all day in her garden with flowers and carrots.
Her heart is crying, crying, and crying in silence.
She says hi to me with the sunken and heavy heart.
She has forgotten to cry out, and she smiles like crying.
I want to whisper to her eyes very quietly,“it is OK to cry”.
She will cry all day in her garden with flowers and carrots.
Her 2
There is this strange store.
I go for candies, but I find my hands are empty when I come out.
I go for candies again, but I find I have forgotten what I have to buy.
I go for candies again with a firm mind, and then I find a milk bottle in my hands.
There is this wizard in the store.
By the magic spell that she uses,
I am hypnotized, and I forget everything.
She throws a charm with her magic hands. Her hands are like my mother’s.
They are like a heart for her. They talk, and they soothe.
Her mind is in her hands, and they are warm.
I forgot candies again today.
I will go for candies again tomorrow.
Her candies are the sweetest, I know.
I go for candies, but I find my hands are empty when I come out.
I go for candies again, but I find I have forgotten what I have to buy.
I go for candies again with a firm mind, and then I find a milk bottle in my hands.
There is this wizard in the store.
By the magic spell that she uses,
I am hypnotized, and I forget everything.
She throws a charm with her magic hands. Her hands are like my mother’s.
They are like a heart for her. They talk, and they soothe.
Her mind is in her hands, and they are warm.
I forgot candies again today.
I will go for candies again tomorrow.
Her candies are the sweetest, I know.
Her 3
She puts her heart in her closet everyday when she goes out to work. Her eyes are empty, and her heart is empty so that I can see my friend behind her through those holes. Her lonely heart waits for her, humming, sleeping, and listening to bird songs and the long cry of the train passing by her house during the day. She puts her heart back when she is with him at home. She becomes her again with flowers and carrots. She smiles like the sky.
Stormy Night in the Spring
A stormy night,
A wind is moaning for the loss of heart to the beloved one.
The barn is keeping its angels warm inside the building
Where the little stove is dozing with its glowing fire.
A shower of hated icy hail stones are knocking down the glass ceiling.
The glass ceiling only shows the black sky that is hiding stars somewhere
Let me talk of my sorrow, the wind slides my window.
It is so sad that it just keeps moaning all night.
Let me go to bed and come again next morning.
My loved ones are waiting for me in my dream.
You will be better with hot tea of roses and gingers.
Sorry for your broken heart that will break my heart.
Don’t cry more, or your frozen tears will beat the windows hard
and wake up the fragile angels that are in their dreams.
A wind is moaning for the loss of heart to the beloved one.
The barn is keeping its angels warm inside the building
Where the little stove is dozing with its glowing fire.
A shower of hated icy hail stones are knocking down the glass ceiling.
The glass ceiling only shows the black sky that is hiding stars somewhere
Let me talk of my sorrow, the wind slides my window.
It is so sad that it just keeps moaning all night.
Let me go to bed and come again next morning.
My loved ones are waiting for me in my dream.
You will be better with hot tea of roses and gingers.
Sorry for your broken heart that will break my heart.
Don’t cry more, or your frozen tears will beat the windows hard
and wake up the fragile angels that are in their dreams.
Skip 1
Skip!!
What?
Skip!!
How?
Skip is going to teach you clean the ash, so wait!
Where?
To the ash hole
Where?
Somewhere in th barn
When?
Skip is going to come on Monday
Wait, he is going to skip this Monday
Oh dear!
My ash!
Oh deer!
Where?
A deer is skipping around the grass
Look!
Where?
Skip is coming to teach you clean the ash
What?
Skip!!
How?
Skip is going to teach you clean the ash, so wait!
Where?
To the ash hole
Where?
Somewhere in th barn
When?
Skip is going to come on Monday
Wait, he is going to skip this Monday
Oh dear!
My ash!
Oh deer!
Where?
A deer is skipping around the grass
Look!
Where?
Skip is coming to teach you clean the ash
Skip 2
He is nature, just like we are
And he is an artist by nature, not like many others.
He gets up with the bright sun,
And goes to bed when the moon turns on the dim light.
He is an employee of Mother nature,
And takes a good care of the assigned land.
He collects dead bodies of coyote, fox, deer, rat, snake, bat, cicada, and gopher,
And hangs them in his house.
To him, death is equally beautiful as life.
We eat death and live a life.
He hasn’t forgotten the Mother language,
And knows how to understand fire, ocean, storm, and trees,
Deep down in the belly.
Mother nature taught him the wisdom of a saint like Her favored student.
I’ve only learned how to be scared of nature.
He knows how to tame poison oak and rattle snakes
And to be in harmony with differences.
The basic vocabulary of nature is smile,
And he knows how to smile.
And he is an artist by nature, not like many others.
He gets up with the bright sun,
And goes to bed when the moon turns on the dim light.
He is an employee of Mother nature,
And takes a good care of the assigned land.
He collects dead bodies of coyote, fox, deer, rat, snake, bat, cicada, and gopher,
And hangs them in his house.
To him, death is equally beautiful as life.
We eat death and live a life.
He hasn’t forgotten the Mother language,
And knows how to understand fire, ocean, storm, and trees,
Deep down in the belly.
Mother nature taught him the wisdom of a saint like Her favored student.
I’ve only learned how to be scared of nature.
He knows how to tame poison oak and rattle snakes
And to be in harmony with differences.
The basic vocabulary of nature is smile,
And he knows how to smile.
Artist’s Fire Stove
Eat the garbage of my long lost memories
Eat the disturbing sound of my unhealed pain
Eat the leftover from my overflowing longing for the non-answering lover of my yesterday.
Eat the anger that I felt toward misunderstood audiences
Keep the distance from its staring orange eyes,
or it’s going to draw you all into the burning fire.
Hypnotize me, hypnotize me,
So I can burn my little worries into the stove
I will only complain as much as the sun shine was necessary for the cold rainy day.
Eat the disturbing sound of my unhealed pain
Eat the leftover from my overflowing longing for the non-answering lover of my yesterday.
Eat the anger that I felt toward misunderstood audiences
Keep the distance from its staring orange eyes,
or it’s going to draw you all into the burning fire.
Hypnotize me, hypnotize me,
So I can burn my little worries into the stove
I will only complain as much as the sun shine was necessary for the cold rainy day.
Sweet Potatoes in the Stove
Hold my sweet potatoes and
Spit out after 30min.
No gargling
Don’t burn my little cute potatoes,
Or I will make your teeth cold for another hour.
No single bite of my potatoes
And you will be starving for another day
Just like a horse having a vegetarian meal,
Eat your wood and be gracious like how a stove should be
Hmm,
A yummy yam is now mellow and sweet
Drawling its sticky juice,
It seduces my appetite.
Where are my little potatoes
Open your mouth,
Ah, you are hiding them there
Here, eat your wood.
Spit out after 30min.
No gargling
Don’t burn my little cute potatoes,
Or I will make your teeth cold for another hour.
No single bite of my potatoes
And you will be starving for another day
Just like a horse having a vegetarian meal,
Eat your wood and be gracious like how a stove should be
Hmm,
A yummy yam is now mellow and sweet
Drawling its sticky juice,
It seduces my appetite.
Where are my little potatoes
Open your mouth,
Ah, you are hiding them there
Here, eat your wood.
John, the Snake
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh-!!!
That was my first greeting to John.
He didn't seem to understand.
John, the snake came again inside the barn
Very quietly, it sneaked between the open glass doors
How long have you been waiting outside
Until no one showed up in the common area?
You are certainly not welcomed here
No matter how quietly you are taking the corner seat
Like a naïve gentleman,
We don’t like you, John.
John says,
Sorry I am cold blooded
And I was just cold.
Well, John,
Go for a gopher down in the hole.
He will be too busy to drive you out.
But John, we treated you the best,
Because you have the name.
That was my first greeting to John.
He didn't seem to understand.
John, the snake came again inside the barn
Very quietly, it sneaked between the open glass doors
How long have you been waiting outside
Until no one showed up in the common area?
You are certainly not welcomed here
No matter how quietly you are taking the corner seat
Like a naïve gentleman,
We don’t like you, John.
John says,
Sorry I am cold blooded
And I was just cold.
Well, John,
Go for a gopher down in the hole.
He will be too busy to drive you out.
But John, we treated you the best,
Because you have the name.
Gopher
Gopher,
Go for it!
Are you checking on me with your little eyes?
I’ve already got you by the window.
Coming up and down the holes,
What are you busy on?
I see you by the grass,
Tickled by you little rat!
The grass giggles,
And it tells me you are there.
You’ve digged so many holes
That you don’t even remember where.
Go for more holes,
Or you will be lost at night,
Because I’m gonna block a bunch
When I go for dinner at the artist kitchen.
Go for it!
Are you checking on me with your little eyes?
I’ve already got you by the window.
Coming up and down the holes,
What are you busy on?
I see you by the grass,
Tickled by you little rat!
The grass giggles,
And it tells me you are there.
You’ve digged so many holes
That you don’t even remember where.
Go for more holes,
Or you will be lost at night,
Because I’m gonna block a bunch
When I go for dinner at the artist kitchen.
Homer & Apple
Look,
This is
Sa-gwa.
I know.
Then, what is this?
I don’t know.
I just told you this is Sagwa.
But now that is on top of your hand.
This is also Sagwa,
This is Sagwa in the mirror,
And this is the same one, but I just put this on the table from that corner,
This is Sagwa, too, but I peeled it.
See? I didn’t know that because you peeled it.
Then, what is this?
Wait a moment,
You are too fast.
Don’t think too much, what do you have to know more?
This is just Sagwa.
But that was a long time ago,
We sometimes forget things.
You are talking about just ten minutes ago,
What on earth do you have to know more to learn this simple one?
You didn’t even repeat ten times,
You are not patient,
This Sagwa looks so different from the other one.
I just turned it to the other side.
I have to know everything, everything that
this is round,
how heavy it is,
what color it is on the other side of Sagwa,
how different the bottom hole is from the top,
how it looks when it is peeled,
how symmetrical it is between the right and left,
if you hold it around, and move it up and down,
which side of the wall you are standing on,
which direction it is,
How Sagwa changes, depending on the color of the background wall, intensity of light, and directions,
I just have to know all these things,
Uh, uh, don’t move it around too much like that,
I cannot remember how it looked like just a moment before,
I am just little bit behind than others in understanding things,
Can’t you allow me that little bit of time?
And please don’t talk to me while I am concentrating,
Then, I would be easily distracted and go back to the beginning,
Don’t think that all people are like you.
There are some people who recognize things with analyzed data rather than remembering the images,
I went to Harvard, you know,
Ah, one thing, can you eat this?
How does it taste?
Where is it from?
And… woo this isn’t all red when I look at it close,
Wait,
The color in this part that I had a bite has been changing,
Ah, what did you say this was?
Yes, right, Sa,
Sa.. yes, you said it was Sagwa,
By the way, why do people say, “apologize”
when they do something wrong?
It smells good in my hand.
How long do I need to wait more?
We have a page-full fruit names to learn,
I just wanted to teach you the names of the fruits in my language,
I don’t think I can…
This is
Sa-gwa.
I know.
Then, what is this?
I don’t know.
I just told you this is Sagwa.
But now that is on top of your hand.
This is also Sagwa,
This is Sagwa in the mirror,
And this is the same one, but I just put this on the table from that corner,
This is Sagwa, too, but I peeled it.
See? I didn’t know that because you peeled it.
Then, what is this?
Wait a moment,
You are too fast.
Don’t think too much, what do you have to know more?
This is just Sagwa.
But that was a long time ago,
We sometimes forget things.
You are talking about just ten minutes ago,
What on earth do you have to know more to learn this simple one?
You didn’t even repeat ten times,
You are not patient,
This Sagwa looks so different from the other one.
I just turned it to the other side.
I have to know everything, everything that
this is round,
how heavy it is,
what color it is on the other side of Sagwa,
how different the bottom hole is from the top,
how it looks when it is peeled,
how symmetrical it is between the right and left,
if you hold it around, and move it up and down,
which side of the wall you are standing on,
which direction it is,
How Sagwa changes, depending on the color of the background wall, intensity of light, and directions,
I just have to know all these things,
Uh, uh, don’t move it around too much like that,
I cannot remember how it looked like just a moment before,
I am just little bit behind than others in understanding things,
Can’t you allow me that little bit of time?
And please don’t talk to me while I am concentrating,
Then, I would be easily distracted and go back to the beginning,
Don’t think that all people are like you.
There are some people who recognize things with analyzed data rather than remembering the images,
I went to Harvard, you know,
Ah, one thing, can you eat this?
How does it taste?
Where is it from?
And… woo this isn’t all red when I look at it close,
Wait,
The color in this part that I had a bite has been changing,
Ah, what did you say this was?
Yes, right, Sa,
Sa.. yes, you said it was Sagwa,
By the way, why do people say, “apologize”
when they do something wrong?
It smells good in my hand.
How long do I need to wait more?
We have a page-full fruit names to learn,
I just wanted to teach you the names of the fruits in my language,
I don’t think I can…
Heaven and Hell
Can you help me doing the dishes?
What did you say?
Hel-P me doing the dishes!
What?
Hell-P me!
What the hell!
I haven’t finished my dinner yet.
You haven’t?
No, I Heaven!
Let me finish the upside-down pine apple cake!
What did you say?
Hel-P me doing the dishes!
What?
Hell-P me!
What the hell!
I haven’t finished my dinner yet.
You haven’t?
No, I Heaven!
Let me finish the upside-down pine apple cake!
Three Objects
-Between U & Me-
a hammer for your cement-hardened heart
honey for your bitterness
a 70% dark chocholate bar for my extra-sweetness
honey for your bitterness
a 70% dark chocholate bar for my extra-sweetness
Where is Adam?
Where is Adam?
I dunno.
He knocked on your door forty times.
Where is Adam?
I saw him walk up the hill yesterday.
Where is Adam?
He is eating sauerkraut out of the can in the kitchen.
He says,
“There is no sausage in the refrigerator“.
Where is Adam?
He went to buy sausage.
There is no sausage in the mountain.
And he doesn’t have a car.
So, where is Adam?
He is taking a picture of the moon in the dark.
But the moon has already gone into the dark cloud.
And, where is Adam?
He went to catch the moon.
He will make the world float in the air,
And send it to the moon.
Where is the moon?
I duuno.
I dunno.
He knocked on your door forty times.
Where is Adam?
I saw him walk up the hill yesterday.
Where is Adam?
He is eating sauerkraut out of the can in the kitchen.
He says,
“There is no sausage in the refrigerator“.
Where is Adam?
He went to buy sausage.
There is no sausage in the mountain.
And he doesn’t have a car.
So, where is Adam?
He is taking a picture of the moon in the dark.
But the moon has already gone into the dark cloud.
And, where is Adam?
He went to catch the moon.
He will make the world float in the air,
And send it to the moon.
Where is the moon?
I duuno.
Nova Hates Mushroom
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova actually hates mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova loves mushroom.
Nova actually hates mushroom.