divine headphone mystery


To Hwang Myong-Ok

the poet leaves the hours
and the world is all
turned to verse

the sky turns to verse
and the road turns to verse
the asphalt turns to verse
and the bus turns to verse
the man the woman and child
their clothes

sadness and happiness
sickness and health
pleasure and pain
all turn to verse
until there is nothing in the world
but verse
until everything
is decided in terms of rhythm
scansion and the pitter patter

of metrical feet
and before long
the material essence
of the earth
and all matters of dreams
food and animal life
turn to verse
unbecome
turn and turn and
turn
and when everything
in the world

turns to verse
we will no longer speak
with words
you and i
I and i
and you and you
everything that you can
understand with touch
will turn to you
reach for you
caress you
love you
for when
everything in the world
will turn to verse

there will be
no more words
only love