Life, Greet Your Winter:
Diffraction Technique
Choose a submission. Take a line or idea from the submission and create your own original poem. Read the submission and your poem together to see the patterns of difference.
If there are points at which the submission and your poem connect (for example, through a theme or a word), compose the pieces together by placing the poems side-by-side at the connection point. The result should be novel enjambments that produce patterns of difference that can be a site of analysis.
Light
HaJung Cho
I wanted to walk slowly again
It was good enough if there was light anywhere there
The mind being dragged into the dark I wanted to take it back to the light
Am I dragging you into the dark?
Are you guiding me to the light?
Then a shooting star falling from the night sky
Close my eyes and make a wish,
and when I opened my eyes gently,
I was already going to the light with you
Untitled 1
HaJung Cho
[2]
꽃 잎 지금 내 인생의 계절은 봄 여름 가을 겨울 중 겨울 동굴에서 겨울잠을 자는 곰과 같이 우두커니 혼자라는 동굴에서 나는 겨울 인생 따뜻한 새싹을 튀우기 위해 흙에서 꿈틀대는 새싹같이 무한한 잠재력으로 새 날을 준비하는 나는 겨울 인생 노오란색의 꽃 잎들은 예쁜 유채꽃으로 봄을 맞이하고 빨강색의 꽃 잎들은 활짝핀 나팔꽃으로 여름은 맞이하고 분홍색의 꽃 잎들은 아름다운 코스모스로 가을을 맞이하는데 인생아 너는 하얀색 꽃 잎으로 너의 겨울을 맞이하여라 어떤 색이든 잘 보여지는 어떤 색이든 잘 어우러지는 순수한 하얀색의 꽃 잎으로 너의 인생을 맞이하여라
Untitled 1
HaJung Cho (Jack Peterson Translation)
The season of my life is now a flowering leaf
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
All winter I slept alone in my cave --
a hibernating bear.
I am winter earth,
lush with wriggling, splashing sprouts,
preparing an unlimited day.
Yellow rapeseed blossoms
welcome Spring.
Red leaves bloom.
Morning glory.
Summer is coming.
The fall sky is coursed
with moss and pink.
Life,
greet your winter with white flowers
blending well with any color.
Untitled 2
HaJung Cho
[3]
산 산아 설레는 마음이구나 정상에 오를 생각을 하니 달려가고 싶은 마음뿐이네 산아 힘이 드는구나 내리막 길만 보이니 하산하고 싶은 욕망뿐이네 산아 의지를 다지자꾸나 유혹을 뿌리치니 정상만이 보일 뿐이네 산아 포기하지 말자꾸나 포기가 없으면 실패도 없나니 도전 만이 내 앞에 있을 뿐이네 산아 가슴이 벅차오르는 구나 힘겨운 여정을 이겨내고 정상에 왔으니 뿌듯함과 행복함 만이 나를 감싸 안을 뿐이네
Untitled 2
HaJung Cho (Jack Peterson Translation)
My heart must think I’m running,
fluttering to the top.
I’m tired of this birth.
I look downhill
and all I want is to descend.
Let’s not give up.
The challenge stays ahead
and I can’t help my overwhelming heart.
Proud when I reach the peak
and am embraced.
Untitled 3
HaJung Cho
[4]
비눗방울 때 묻은 손을 비누로 씻으니 몽글몽글 거품이 생긴다 거품을 후 불으니 방울방울 날아가는 비눗방울 한 방울에는 즐거움이 다른 방울에는 슬픔이 또 다른 방울에는 아쉬움이 담겨져 하늘로 달려간다 그러다 어느 순간 톡 하고 터져버리니 그렇게 비눗방울은 추억이 되어 사라지고 때를 씻기듯 우리의 기억 또한 씻겨져 나간다 하지만 매 순간 거품이 새로 생기듯 우리의 추억 또한 새로 생겨나고 거품이 뭉쳐져 큰 방울 하나를 만들듯 우리의 추억 또한 커져나간다 비록 언젠가는 터질 방울이지만 때 묻은 손을 씻을 때마다 우리 옆에 자리하고 있겠지 추억 이란 이름으로
Untitled 3
HaJung Cho (Jack Peterson Translation)
When you wash with soap
you get a bubble of bubbles.
One bubble holds pleasure,
the next contains sadness.
Grief floats upward in another.
Then, at some point,
the bubbles burst
and disappear
and become memories
washed away like soil
from dirty hands.
But every so often
the bubbles converge
and grow
and swell like new memories
and burst
and reappear next to me
every time I wash my stained hands.
Light
Collective Composition
The classrooms were all old, simply equiped and quite dark
kinda dark and the window was small too.
The lights in that classroom were not really helpful
and Prof. Peterson always stood in the "dark front".
It was always a bit dim in the classroom,
especially in those cloudy days.
I remember in the classroom we had a great view
from the trees outside and the big windows in the class
allowed the sun come in.
When I Wash with Soap
Jack Peterson
When I wash with soap
I don’t think of bubbles at all.
When I wash with soap
I have to work hard to lather.
I look out the window -
people can’t stop jogging
and walking dogs.
When I wash with soap
I look in the mirror at my refusing hair
and sinking laugh lines.
One is filled with grief.
Another with sadness.
Another rises with a wince.
When I wash with soap
my past is what my body was
and where my pleasure held
the ledge in the rental shower
chipped and blackening paint.
The Season of My Life
Jack Peterson
The season of my life is now
a forest tree, felled by timber hunters
on its side. Stump of trunk
sustained by entangled roots
of thriving kin. Moss feed
and course electric green.
All winter I slept under others’ leaves
All spring I sprouted others’ seeds.
All summer I decayed my branches.
All fall I turn and dream.
Memory of Water
Jack Peterson
Embrace me as I return
silty and still
chilled through.
I have seen the fall
of subterranean water
in the depths of the summer cave
and have scraped my way through
unbearable rock passages to ascend
and find that out here rocks
chip and gravel at each trespass.
Inside is memory of water
silent on every surface.
Diffractive Experiment 1
HaJung Cho & Jack Peterson
My heart must think I’m running,
fluttering to the top
I’m tired of this birth.
I look downhill
and all I want is to descend.
Let’s not give up.
The challenge stays ahead
and I can’t help my overwhelming heart.
Proud when I reach the peak
and am embraced. Embrace me as I return
silty and still
chilled through
I have seen the fall
of subterranean water
in the depths of the summer cave
and have scraped my way through
unbearable rock passages to ascend
and find that out here
rocks chip and gravel at each trespass.
Inside is memory of water
silent on every surface.
Diffractive Experiment 2
HaJung Cho & Jack Peterson
My heart must think I’m running,
fluttering to the top
I’m tired of this birth.
I look downhill
and all I want is to descend.
Let’s not give up.
The challenge stays ahead
and I can’t help my overwhelming heart.
Proud when I reach the peak
and am embraced. Embrace me as I return
silty and still
chilled through
I have seen the fall The season of my life is now a flowering leaf The season of my life is now
of subterranean water Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter a forest tree, felled by timber hunters
in the depths of the summer cave All winter I slept alone in my cave on its side. Stump of trunk
and have scraped my way through A hibernating bear sustained by entangled roots
unbearable rock passages to ascend I am winter earth of thriving kin. Moss feed
and find that out here lush with wriggling, splashing sprouts and course electric green.
Rocks chip and gravel at each trespass preparing an unlimited day All winter I slept under others’ leaves
in there is memory of water yellow rapeseed blossoms All spring I sprouted others’ seeds. The season of my life is now
silent on every surface. Welcome Spring all summer I decayed my branches. a forest tree, felled by timber hunters
Red leaves bloom All fall I turn and dream. The season of my life is now on its side. Stump of trunk
Morning glory a forest tree, felled by timber hunters sustained by entangled roots
Summer is coming on its side. Stump of trunk of thriving kin. Moss feed
The Fall sky is coursed sustained by entangled roots and course electric green
with moss and pink of thriving kin. Moss feed all winter I slept under others’ leaves
Life, and course electric green. All spring I sprouted others’ seeds.
Greet your winter with white flowers All winter I slept under others’ leaves All summer I decayed my branches.
Blending well with any color All fall I turn and dream.
All summer I decayed my branches.
All fall I turn and dream.
Diffractive Experiment 3
HaJung Cho & Jack Peterson
When you wash with soap When I wash with soap
you get a bubble of bubbles I don’t think of bubbles at all
One bubble holds pleasure, When I wash with soap
The next contains sadness. I have to work hard to lather
Grief floats upward in another I look out the window -
then, at some point, people can’t stop jogging
The bubbles burst and walking dogs
and disappear When I wash with soap
and become memories I look in the mirror at my refusing hair
washed away like soil and sinking laugh lines
from dirty hands One is filled with grief
But every so often another with sadness
the bubbles converge Another rises with a wince
and grow when I wash with soap
and swell like new memories my past is what my body was
and burst and where my pleasure held
and reappear next to me The ledge in the rental shower
Every time I wash my stained hands chipped and blackening paint
Diffractive Experiment 4
HaJung Cho & Jack Peterson
When I wash with soap
I don’t think of bubbles at all
When I wash with soap
I have to work hard to lather
I look out the window -
people can’t stop jogging
and walking dogs
When I wash with soap
I look in the mirror at my refusing hair when you wash with soap
and sinking laugh lines you get a bubble of bubbles
One is filled with grief. One bubble holds pleasure,
another with sadness. The next contains sadness.
Another rises with a wince Grief floats upward in another
when I wash with soap then, at some point,
my past is what my body was The bubbles burst
and where my pleasure held and disappear
the ledge in the rental shower and become memories
chipped and blackening paint washed away like soil
from dirty hands
But every so often
the bubbles converge
and grow
and swell like new memories
and burst
and reappear next to me
every time I wash my stained hands