The Persimmon Tree and My Mother
Together, we planted a tiny persimmon sapling,
no thicker than a finger.
Side by side, we dug into the stony soil
until our fingertips wore thin.
The wind carried us sunshine,
and our family pushed each dawn forward.
Today, I should be picking its fruit,
but you have departed
with the autumn to a distant place.
A single persimmon waits on a plate upon the table,
yet my lips refuse it.
All your life, Mother, you wrote and taught
God’s love and devotion upon the earth
with your whole being for your children.
My eyes, shimmering with tears, have become autumn-red persimmons.
감나무와 어머니
당신과 함께 심었습니다
손가락만 한 감나무
돌짝밭 손끝이 닳도록 함께
땅을 파내려 갔습니다
바람은 햇살을 끌어다 주고
가족은 새벽을 밀었습니다
오늘, 그 감을 따야 하는데
당신은 가을과 함께 먼 곳으로
떠나셨습니다
식탁 위 접시에 올려진 감 하나
차마 입으로 깨물지 못합니다
한평생 자식들에게
하나님의 사랑과 헌신을
온몸으로 땅에 쓰고 가르치신 어머니
그렁한 내 눈은 붉은 감빛이 되었습니다
Ms. Lee Hyo
Poet Lee Hyo first entered the literary world through Sinmunye in 2021, and continued her active literary career by debuting again through Minerva in 2025. In recognition of her literary achievements and artistic excellence, she has received numerous honors, including the 5th Asia-Pacific Literary Award, the Prize of the 1st Seoul Citizens Literary Award, the Prize of the 24th Hwang Jini Literary Award, and the Prize of the 1st Dante Literary Award. In 2026, she was also honored with the Chairperson’s Award of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Currently, Lee Hyo serves as a Standing Director of the Dante Writers Association, Vice President of the Insadong Poets Association, and a Selection Committee Member for the literary webzine Munye Maru. She is also an active member of the Korean Writers’ Association and PEN Korea. In addition, she works as a writing instructor at the Gangdong-gu Haegong Senior Welfare Center, where she contributes to literary education and the promotion of creative writing.
Her published poetry collections include Your Breath Once, Roses Are Cats, and The Equation of Emotions.
