A new anthology of poems by Korean-American poets:“Ebb and Flow”

Cover for “Ebb and Flow”

By Dr. Kang Chang-wuk

A new anthology of poems, “Ebb and Flow” has been published jointly by CreateSpace and Amazon.com. This book is unique in that it features the work of eight Korean-American poets translated into English. The poets are Korean-American, except one for whom English is a second language. Writing the poems and publishing the book must have been daunting, but they have done it. The English-language poems are nuanced and unique, and more importantly, express the poets’ excellence and artistry. While these poets have already shown their gift of poetry in Korean, is the poems in this anthology are not just simple translations. They were written in English from scratch, which is an admirable and amazing feat.

They say that early human beings originated from Central Africa and spread all over the world. People move constantly. When this generation of poets from Korea left their home, they probably did not think they would leave their homeland permanently. Once they arrived in America, however, they decided to settle down earnestly. Many well-known Koreans optimistically planted their roots down in their new homeland, creating not only new homes but also new towns where they live and work with their family and friends and where they tend vegetable gardens on which they have planted their heart and soul. Their contributions to American society are truly inspiring. In spite of all the hard work they already have on their plate, they also planted their literary souls on this land that adopted them. I’m impressed by their efforts to create a gift to the land that welcomed them. When we visit friends’ homes, we bring them something beautiful, like flowers. Likewise, with this book, these poets have brought a bouquet of beautiful poems to their host country, which embraced them.

The book’s editor and the lead-off poet, Professor Choi Yearn Hong, wrote a poem with a message that is so real that it made me wonder whether I was simply reading the poem or whether I am discovering my own soul. Well, that happens when you are reading a poem that makes you feel that you share an understanding with the poet. My empathy for the poet was undeniable when I read his poem “Son's sorrow.” Sure, the book is an anthology not only of the poets’ work but also of their lives.

Caring for your loved one, like your mother, should be done with the ultimate devotion from your heart, a lesson good Koreans learn from the teachings in filial piety. But not by good medical knowledge. In fact, some not well ripen medical knowledge might harm one and injure the heart and devotion of everyone. Professor Choi wanted to say so in this poem, but he hesitates, like a good poet and like a good son with pure love and devotion to his mom. As a doctor, I have had the privilege to give my patients some consolation. Anyone who has left his or her mother back in their homeland wish he or she could send her a love song. I see a few more love songs to mothers in this book, and some to fathers as well. All the poets yearn for something, and this yearning is their bread and butter. In this case more mother which also may connote the motherland. To me this is very Korean in the heart. We all remember Antonin Dvorak’s yearning in his “New World Symphony,” but he went home. Whenever I hear the main theme’s melody, I immediately see my mom in the kitchen preparing my supper and waiting for me at sunset. This yearning is just too much to bear, but our poets persisted.

The poets and the humanity! But then, this is the agony of our immigrants who left their beloved in their homeland, Korea. And there are too many stories to tell with this yearning, heartbreaking stories, and stories of sorrow and guilt as you try to console yourself with your warm tears.

All the vicissitudes of Korean immigration to the Western hemisphere have been mixed with blessings and travails. Any of immigrant compatriot would cry with this poet. What a black-skinned man of Korean ancestry is thinking I cannot fathom, but he might have tried to forget what he does not know. Why? It might have been too painful to even momentarily contemplate. Did his grandfather tell him good stories about what a wonderful home he left behind? But this poet shares his heart that mixes with that of a black-skinned man. I am sure the poet cried, though he might not have taken his handkerchief out of his pocket.

We lost a wonderful poet. I do not know if he had read his own poem printed on the beautiful book. He may have gone to his home, but I have been left behind walking on my turf with still thing to do. Dr. Byoung Kie Lee wrote the poem “To My God,” starting with simple question “Are you there in Heaven? /You have not answered me. I have sent you a message.../I have something to talk to you [about] ...” An earnest prayer and earnest yearning. Interestingly, God said He always responds to a request from a prayer. But Dr. Lee did not wait for Him to answer. He just decided to go to see Him directly. Or, God sent His angel to get Dr. Lee. Though we are saddened about him going away to his home, he left us with joy and sorrow at the same time. We can easily imagine him pounding his Master’s bosom crying and at the same time enjoying His warm embrace. Well, that is how poets help us to sublimate our sorrow into joy. This is a Korean-American poet. A poet who is honest, who yearns for a home that is waiting for him or her, and who prays out loud but does not cry. Still, these poets never forget what they treasure, like the poem “Hibiscus Flower.”

Soon, they began enjoying their new adoptive world after a deep breath. They become wanderlusts seeking something in and out of their new world and recording their delight on their poems, notwithstanding the occasional pain and agony.

By now, I feel like I am a little child in a candy store. At times, I am enjoying as if peeping through a beautiful kaleidoscope. I don’t know which one I should choose to read next. Now that I have the book, I realize the joy I will be feeling when I read the poems one by one on my own cadence for a long time. It doesn’t matter if they make me smile or cry.

I would like to recommend to everyone, anyone who can read in English, this beautiful, newly crafted creation in English, a collection of works by all the good poets from the new era, the Korean-American poets in the capital of the great country that embraced them.

Kang Chang-wuk, M.D. is a psychiatrist and writer.