Tearful Mount Kumgang

Touring Mount Kumgang
Yong Wan Choi 08.07.10
Beyond the October valleys of autumn leaves
the peaks of Manmulsang pierce the sky
waving both arms and shouting from afar
stern Birobong was hidden somewhere
and Haegeumgang on the East Sea seemed to hide far off
but Gwimyeonam Rock I embraced, and even sang
a sip of rock water scooped in my palm
my eyes avoiding the huge names carved on the cliffs
at a hotel where the lights often went out
a supper of seaweed soup, freshly gathered
outside the window a hushed sky of twinkling stars
we stayed up long through a night we hated to end
on the way out, the tour bus with drooping shoulders
drunken South Korean compatriots dragging out pop songs
beyond the barbed wire, in a baggy uniform
the hard face of my brother, a lone People's Army soldier
the engine grumbling as it was dragged along
beat its breast against a valley where time stood still
saying a day of sunshine would come
the aching silence of the rocks moved me to tears