"joseon" poems
Love for the kingdom of Joseon,
Listening to the silent sounds from the past,
Heartfelt love for Korea,
Watching the melting snow,
Dreams of love in a Korean spring,
Ahh, my dreams of youth are gone,
Love for pink cherry blossoms,
Love for festivals,
Love for hope,
I keep asking myself, "Why? Oh, why did I wait so long?"
Hope that the Korean people never lose hope
Hope for the future of Joseon,
Hope for the cherry blossoms,
Hope for a clear spring,
Hope for a united Korea,
Hope for sunny festivals,
Now, if I only knew how to open my eyes,
To see;
Beautiful spring festivals,
Beautiful new hope,
Beautiful memories of Joseon,
Beautiful cherry blossoms,
Beautiful happy spring,
Beautiful Korea,
Reality is a road leading nowhere,
Dreams are a million guideposts that lead us on the path to our future,
Bright shiny Korea,
Colorful Festivals,
Bright children are given the gift of hope,
Seeing beautiful memories of Joseon,
Bedazzled as if looking at a bright neon sign,
Bright cherry blossoms,
Bright and warm spring,
Birds singing,
I must be dreaming,
New Korean spring,
New path for Korea,
New history for Joseon,
Feeling the winds of change,
New hope,
New spring festivals,
Newly planted cherry blossoms,
Sunny cherry blossoms,
Sunny spring,
Sunny Korea,
Sunny Festivals,
Sunny hope,
Sunny Joseon,
Beautiful Joseon lovely Cherry Blossoms floating above us,
Loving a bright Korean warm spring,
Bright, colorful spring festivals holding hands falling in love,
Now, if I only knew how to open my eyes...
Copyright © 2016 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Jan 29, 2016
Jan 29, 2016 at 5:38 AM UTC
I lived in Pyongyang,
Breathing to be wired to follow my father’s footsteps.
Taught all day the greatness of our homeland.
As a kid, I sunk into their teaching,
But now seen as propaganda through my grown eyes.
I dreamed of leading my own troupe
Into battle, for my great country, to stand with pride
As I was destined to protect it.
Out of grief and sadness
A cry stretched its ways to my ears.
The great leader fell
From swell to nothing well.
I was told we were to go on holiday
In Gyeong-Seong forced to stay.
Moving in and out of it to see the light of day.
No longer blinded from my homeland’s falsehood
Tricks and tactics meant for military
Used against it for my own tranquility.
Oh! The irony.
Now grown up, with a new dream.
I no longer see Joseon the way it used to seem,
I say my story as a North Korean defector in hope,
hope to see better lives for those who reside there.
In my oh so forsaken great homeland Joseon.
Dec 7, 2019
Dec 7, 2019 at 11:09 AM UTC
Mishima, Plath, Arbus & Teasdale
are the sacred four of invincible silence,
alone as Isadora danced
& Martha made it w/ Noguchi
& he built sets for her all-American dance,
lifting her legs showing off her hairy ****
I love the smell of poets’ cooch
& he-man values that overthrow
the stale shoes of grandfathers
and mothers the world over
& when we arrive on the Korean Peninsula
we shall once again call it Joseon---
Don’t torture our kpop stars---
(ironically called idols but treated like slaves)
The women we love
have had extensive cosmetic surgery
To make them beautiful
& worthy of near-religious devotion---
Suicide is a viable option
when ur depressed & in the limelight;
Where do u go after dark,
to some smoky ***** den---
It’s been days, months, years since I saw u last----
after the sinking of the Sewol
that destroyed an entire generation
of innocent lives---
Come home to me where I will love u
like a newborn puppy & make hot cocoa for u
In winter & ice-cold lemonade in summer---
It’s been months since I saw u last
& we showered together
washing away our sins to be reborn as angels
after our mutual suicide---
Dec 22, 2017
Dec 22, 2017 at 5:08 PM UTC
Ruby!
Your love for a place and people,
Is like the never ending stars in Heaven, remarkable!
Your face reminds me of a bright yellow Texas sun rising in the east,
Sailing to an impossible place,
To the time of Joseon,
An Angel teaching a good people,
The place Sharon's rose grows,
A beautiful Seoul,
A place of impossible dreams to come,
Blue Skies,
Rice cake soup,
Magpies flying high,
Oh beautiful shining Texas Angel,
Your Spirit lives in Seoul today.
Your Spirit sleeps under the blankets of Seoul,
The perfect friend to the Korean people,
They will never forget that summer day,
That day, you offered your "thousand lives." to a beautiful people.
A blessed Texas Angel, who gave her heart and Spirit to Korea,
A Ruby shining with love.
Copyright © 2016 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Feb 11, 2016
Feb 11, 2016 at 5:17 PM UTC
Korea is my beautiful shining rose,
With very sharp thorn,
That pierce my heart every day.
To truly love a place or someone.
You need to learn everything you can about them.
Both their beauty and ugliness is what makes them whole.
You need to touch their hand,
Look into their eyes.
And see their Soul.
I still have much to grasp,
About this land, I drift to in my dreams.
I need to fly home to my distant past, to Joseon.
Korea is my beautiful shining rose,
That, I will touch one day in this life or the next.
Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved. Ronald J Chapman
Feb 6, 2017
Feb 6, 2017 at 1:14 PM UTC
I don't know what to do?
How can I feel your earth below my feet again,
After a thousand years of being alone?
Without disobeying the wishes of my family?
How can I love you?
How can an old Soul travel to a young Miracle?
How can I touch a re-born Seoul?
My only way to love you.
Is to show the world,
How beautiful you are,
How a Phoenix has risen,
From the ashes of war.
Is love worth taking the chance?
A chance of dying before I can ever return home,
My home of a thousand years, Joseon!
The home that I was cursed to remember forever,
An impossible love that I can never say goodbye to,
A Love that will last for eternity.
Copyright © 2016 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Aug 25, 2016
Aug 25, 2016 at 8:44 PM UTC
A tribute to the inter-Korean summit April 27, 2018
Brothers and Sisters of Joseon
In the spring, our love warms our Souls,
like cherry blossoms floating in the breeze at Panmunjom.
In wintertime, our love is cold — it's holding the island of Yeonpyeong
in pain freezing our toes.
If skies are blue, our love is peaceful — two people shaking
hands in the spring sun.
If thunder rolls in, our love is brave, a refuge from the rain.
When spring cherry blossoms bloom,
Our love is bold, like red petals on the Korean rose.
When autumn leaves fall, our love is silver,
shining bright like, Mount Kumgang.
From New Year's day till Dano, the fifth day of the fifth month of
the year our love will continue to hold hands.
From season to season, may peace continue to bloom,
in the land of Korea.
Copyright © 2018 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Apr 27, 2018
Apr 27, 2018 at 7:20 PM UTC
Every night in my lonely dreams,
You come to me from a far away place, (Korea)
And a distant time, (The time of Joseon.)
You are my Destiny,
My lost love,
The heavens took away on that June day.
But on July 7th day every year, A Midsummer night's dream,
Meant to be, as a great gift from God,
You are my love song, my destiny,
We spend a night, a dream of making impossible love,
You are my Angel,
I will love you forever and ever,
My beautiful dream,
You are my everything!
Copyright © 2016 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Jul 9, 2016
Jul 9, 2016 at 1:39 PM UTC
I feel amazed and like I'm living in a deep dream sometimes,
When I think of you each night and day,
And when I see you, I see Magpies flying high,
I write words from our dreams, every day,
These words are never enough,
To show how much I love you!
I cry when you're in pain,
There is nothing I can do but pray,
You're beautiful!
I can't resist your courage and strength, it's true!
The cherry blooms and palaces fade into shadows sometimes...
But my memories of living with you in the past will always remain,
Locked away in my heart, like the treasures of Joseon,
I am crazy for you!
Your Soul is fast; your heart is a mother's love,
I truly wish my heart was being held in your hands,
I could sing and dance 'til life was done,
But you are the focus of my plans,
Too much missing you is impressive, my love,
And for you, 'Dae Han, Min Guk', I thank Heaven above.
All my love,
Copyright © 2015 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Jun 14, 2015
Jun 14, 2015 at 5:58 PM UTC
All those years ago. You were my life; you were my dream,
you were my love, my dear Queen Seondeok,
An impossibility I know.
I dream of visiting impossible places and times every night,
A miracle raised from the ashes of war,
And one people of Korea,
A miracle that stands,
Only minutes away from eternity,
Every day.
My dear love, Queen Seondeok, please grant your wisdom,
To your people living in the North and the South,
And remind them, they are one family,
They are the family,
Of the Kingdom of Joseon.
The place my dreams come from.
Copyright © 2017 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Sep 2, 2017
Sep 2, 2017 at 7:52 AM UTC
You covered in a veil of white,
You and me dancing,
on clouds of love.
A dream that would not come true,
God took you away from me too soon.
Still missing you every day,
Living a long life of loneliness,
Only having love replaced.
by dreams of a distant time and beautiful place.
Looking behind the veil of time,
Living with you,
in the Kingdom of Joseon.
Is my only dream these days,
Hoping every day,
God brings me home,
to you and love.
To be together with you for all of eternity,
is my only dream,
And this time praying God allows me to marry you.
I love you; I miss you, every day.
Copyright © 2017 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved
Dec 4, 2017
Dec 4, 2017 at 3:14 PM UTC
Last night's dreams were hard to say goodbye,
I wish you would stay,
I can't help it,
Missing you and I playing,
You and I walking a path, covered with cherry blossoms,
Dreaming dreams of our future,
The quickest way to our dreams,
Is always to choose the most beautiful path in life,
Tonight you and I will play again,
Hearing your laughter,
Seeing your happy smile,
Saying goodbye, brings sadness,
I hate seeing tears in your eyes,
Tonight's dreams are hard for me to tell you goodbye,
Thousands of words written to you,
Float across time,
Seeing you living in a Miracle,
Love at first sight,
Destined to stand with you,
To embrace you,
You and I on the Southern shores of Joseon,
Hearing waves roar from an Eastern sea,
Dreaming,
Love is deeper than any ocean,
Love is stronger than any storm,
Loving you until the end of time, hand in hand,
Tonight's dream is hard,
To say goodbye...
Copyright © 2015 Ronald J Chapman All Rights Reserved.
Nov 18, 2015
Nov 18, 2015 at 2:49 PM UTC
a cold snap froze the world & Medusa,
overlooking the park turned to a skinny hag---
astonished at the loss her fruit,
visited everyday by Kyunghee the intern
who liked to collect her leaves
take them home & bathe in them,
the soothing water smooth as glass cutting
the yellow skin like red-ribbon---
I was there w/ her once a month,
Kyunghee in the swirling pungent
smelling tub of hot Medusa tea/rs---
I loved Kyunghee & could easily again
if she will deign accept an errant shogun---
on her island off Joseon---
there was the time I threw her out -
it was too late & the stars glittered
frailly as she wept, sorry about old man blues;
I ran out of the apartment,
going to the park---where there, there & there
Medusa's seeds had spread
& a before me stood a naked forest of her kin; her daughters really,
Sisters under the skin;
patrimony strictly mechanical,
call me the architectonic doctor of her being;
her living geometry
waving their naked branches
and forgotten fruit
shriveled like loving mothers spitting **** spent milk---
imagine butter made with spicy eggnog on pancakes
watered w/ her own sap
or oily on a young mother's pouting belly,
wrinkled like memory;
all but untouched I leapt
grabbing the low-hanging fruit----
& biting the bitter hell out of its squishy tit-like skin---
pulp filling my mouth like her mother's red tide---
the best kind, Arab blood, the tastiest---
Dec 25, 2017
Dec 25, 2017 at 9:27 AM UTC