Cockroaches
In the beginning
It must have been a woman
Who was the first human that cockroaches faced.
Aargh! Shrieking first,
She was probably a coward
Just like my mom and sister.
‘Humans are big but not a big deal’
Since then
Cockroaches have shared
The kitchen with cowards.
If they had met brave men
Like my dad and uncle
They would never have dared
To live under the same roof with a human.
.
Han, Hye-yung : poet, Author of children’s story, sijo-poet
Translated by Hwahyun Lee
