[Editor’s Note: These poems have been translated from Korean to English. You can read more about the poet here]

Artwork by Supriya Soni: Completed Masters in Applied Arts with specialization in Illustration. Is keen on experimenting with various art mediums. Currently working on building up her Instagram page (@colorful.headed.munia). Strongly feels for the LGBTQI initiatives, straight…but not narrow.

The Gay Life

Brother, brother’ cousin’s brother,
how is the gay life?

Don’t even ask.

Gay life, dog life—oh, my flesh is trembling.

Like paper thin ice tread on all day

I’m tired, I can’t go on.

Mum and dad are shocked.

Friends are stunned.

The reverend reads his sermons.

Only I alone am the ugly baby duck.

The difficult days seem like Asura’s ghost.

Brother, brother, what’s to happen to you?

Our destinies our like that, what to do?

Let’s at least have a drink in Jongno.

Yeah, let’s.

Let’s see ourselves get completely sloshed.

One Night

One night

Without a two night

It’s only one night.

Two three four…

Get out now

It’s only one night.

Like poppies reincarnated

From the bottom of the head

To my toes—

An electrifying orgasm.

Finish everything

In one night.

From beginning to end

Our meeting—one night.

On paper thin ice

Our rounds buttocks

Facing each other

One night.

Bipolarity

Sorrow waits behind laughter, and

I find laughter waiting behind sorrow.

Who are these punks who take their turns to meddle with me?

Hell Flower

A flower blooming inside hell fire.

An unburnt and moist mystery.

Is there no one who could stealthily pluck that flower

And give it to me?

Rebirth

My soul becomes a flower-rain that falls next to you

Though you, my love, cannot feel me in this,

Listen closely to my whispers, my dear.

Quarter

The world is half man, half woman and

The half of the world’s half are queer men and women

This doesn’t make me sad.