Measuring Height in the Barley Field
In the barley field,
green leaves rise from every furrow.
As if asking, “Which of us will grow taller?”
they grow, each striving to outgrow the other.
One by one, their slender heads rise,
dreaming of waves of gold beneath the early summer sun.
They gather handfuls of sunlight in their tender leaves,
and little by little, they grow taller and fuller.
Through every furrow of the barley field,
a long green wave stretches into the distance,
and in the farmer’s heart, too,a fruitful dream begins to ripen.
Waiting for the day of a bountiful harvest.
Like Flowing Water
I accept it all like flowing water,
without hesitation
sorrow, pain, and despair.
If they have come to me
what could they be but encounters from a distant former life?
Having endured those endless ages of time,
how fortunate I was to be able to call you
my beloved,
even if only by a thread of connection between us.
I embrace the ties of past, present, and future lives,
and long to weave again
the bonds that we could not fully complete.
If it is in this life, all the better.
Even if it must wait until the next, I shall have no regrets.
On an autumn day, to my beloved
Poet Ms. Kim Eun-sim has received the Global Literary Award and the Grand Prize of the Hwang Jin-i Literary Award. She has also published her poetry collection, Seed.
In addition to her literary career, she is the CEO of Seed Jewelry in Bundang and works as a jewelry designer. She also serves as a board member of the Korean Jewelry Association and is a member of the Korea Music Copyright Association.
