Author: Byungafallgren

Threat

~ Byungafallgren ~ 2 Comments

It’s neither a hope
nor a solution but a
reckless fury tangled in
confusion of today
Excuse for self-defense
provoked by angry tit-for-tat
can turn into an irrevocable volcano
that takes innocent lives,
wounding the world
Wise answer lies within.

* I spoke over the phone with my sister in South Korea
the other day.  She told me to speak louder because
she couldn’t hear me over the noise outside.  According to her,
South Korea and U.S. military are jointly preparing for war
with North Korea, so constantly the military airplanes fly over
the residential district.
Are we really on the verge of another War?
Is it possible to resolve the problem in peace?

IMG_1704
The historic Changgyeong Palace with downtown Seoul in the background

Looking at the cityscape and the old Palace,
one can see spirit of Tangun, the father of
the country hovers round, apprehensive for
the current situation in the land.  One also
hear him saying, “Listen, my children, this is
homogenous people’s nation; you are all my
children.  Get along!  Then he retreats into
the deep of the ancient palace, praying to
Buddha for the country and world peace.
One is hopeful somehow everything will be fine.

(by Byung A. Fallgren)

starting the day with a ding

~ Byungafallgren ~ Leave a comment

i was startled awoken by a strange ding,
eyes wide open, head half asleep
what was that?
The sound hangs in the air like a giant spider,
pulsating in the dark

Stars of e-devices watch in silence
Close eyes to get back to the lost sleep,
curiosity squirming about the ding
as if an echo from a bad day

Low hum of the neighbor’s garage door opening
followed by the sound of car drives away,
the barking dog, beeping trash-pickup truck

Wide awake, open the Inbox to find a love letter
from a young man, politely asking my age
Re:  Old enough to be your mother

Another ding from the iPhone!
The message reads:  “…there’s nothing like finding
perfect app or game.”
Some message at 5:30 a.m.

The dawn meets the morning light
as the Earth sighs, rotating, apprehensive
for the unpredictable human affairs, yet aspirant
So the day starts, a bit different from yesterday,
wintry scent in the air, calm and hopeful.

(by Byung A. Fallgren)

 

 

Flying Against the Flow

~ Byungafallgren ~ 4 Comments

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I’ve learned to fly
against the flow
now and then
to avoid the attraction
disguised in beauty
beyond the horizon
where many gather,
misguided
only to return,
broken hearted
that could consume
years to recover, wasted,
precious time undoable
I’ve learned to fly against the flow
not to follow the blinded flock

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Photo by Collin Andrew Maag.)

The New Sea

~ Byungafallgren ~ Leave a comment

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(FICTION)

Flower:  Guess whose car that is.
Me:  I don’t know.
Flower:  The man who used to live in the village
down the hill when he was a child.
Me:  No village is down the hill but the sea.
Flower:  The village is submerged under the sea.
Me:  How did it happen?
Flower:  Guess.
Me:  Arctic melt caused it?
Flower:  Nope.
Me:  The rain that poured down for months must’ve been
the culprit!
Flower:  Close enough.  But do you know what caused the such
a rain storm?
Me:  Climate change, of course.
Flower:  Wrong.  Aliens made the storm clouds from the ocean.
They will do that again until all the humans are drowned.
Me:  Unbelievable!

* This is based on my new book that will be out in March or
April 2018.  Implausible, you might say, but after reading the
book, you might nod, saying:  “It’s possible.”

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Photo by Collin Andrew Maag.)

 

delight

~ Byungafallgren ~ Leave a comment

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Rough as ancients
we sought our way
to refine ourselves
between stormy waves
Result is a delight

*
Sometimes we come upon
a startling beauty of art
rendered by Nature
The distant, beckoning mountain
the mirror-like, calm water
the rainbow pebbles in the water
the clouds that simulate the colors of pebbles
the single leaf kisses
What a masterful composition!
And It is free for us to see.

(by Byung A. Fallgren.  Photo from Lucy’s Shop on Line.)