촛불 편지 시인: 김광렬
촛불광장으로 나와 촛불을 켜들 수 없는 당신은 지금
푸른 기와집 모래 위에
더 무슨 푸른 기와집을 짓기 위해 골몰하고 있는지?
딱딱. 촛농 떨어지는 광장의 소리 귀에 안 들리는지?
다 타버린 차디찬 등燈 부둥켜안고
아직도 화사한 애벌레의 꿈을 꾸고 있는 것이나 아닌지?
헐벗은 개돼지들은 더는 가축이 되지 않기 위해
촛불 밝히고 이 혹독한 겨울을 밀어내고 있는데
당신은 이제 거꾸로 가축이 되기 위해
그 자리에 그렇게 웅크려 있는 것이나 아닌지?
진실을 구부려 거짓을 담금질하는 일이
그렇게 달콤하고 재미있었는지? 재미있는지?
사방천지 손 닿고 손 닿는 곳마다
혼란스러운 땟자국, 상처자국, 난파선자국, 작두질자국
제발 이제 더는 등불 켜지 말기를,
한 나라를 밝히는 등불은 아무나 섣불리 켜는 게 아닌 것
옷이 맨살을 보호하듯
등불은 아름답고 빛나는 현재와 미래를 위해 켜는 것
참, 이리도 불편하게
띄우고 싶지 않은 촛불 편지를 띄우게 만든 당신이
차라리 고마워서 환장하게 미치고 싶은 이 아린 시간
끝까지 광장을 잠들지 못하게 하는
찬란한 인두겁을 쓴 당신은 어느 별에서 온 누구신지?
Candlelight Letter (poet: Gim Gwangryeol)
You, who cannot come out to the candlelight square to light a candle—
What other blue-roof-tiled house are you now trying to build
On the sand of your blue-roof-tiled house?
Drip, drip… Can you hear the wax melt and drip in the square?
Still hugging a cold, burnt-down lamp[1],
Are you by any chance dreaming the brilliant dream of a caterpillar even now?[2]
While haggard “dogs and pigs” are lighting the candles
And trying to push away this harsh winter, in order to be livestock no more,
Perhaps you’re crouching in your place
In order to become livestock yourself this time?
To bend truth to mold lies—
Was it so sweet and fun for you? Is it still fun?
Wherever your hand touched, everywhere,
There were messy stains of dirt, hurt, shipwrecks, and scars.
Please stop lighting your lamp. Never again, please.
Not everyone is worthy of lighting a lamp that will illuminate a country.
Like clothes protecting our naked flesh,
A lamp should be lit for our beautiful and shiny present and future.
Now, when I’d rather like to become crazy because I am grateful to you
For forcing me to write you a candlelight letter that I never wanted to write,
For forcing me to write this reluctantly,
Who are you who took the shape of a brilliant human form?
Which planet are you from, you who make it impossible for the square to go to sleep until the very end?
[1] Former President Park Geun-hye supported a book project that referred to her father as “the lamp of the East.”
[2] Former President Park Geun-hye emphasized in the Dec. 23, 2015 cabinet meeting that anything would be possible if they worked hard like a caterpillar tearing off its cocoon to become a butterfly.
