Gaksan
a poem from the book With Open Arms: Poetry for Big Love and Real Life
In town, my life is all manmade
GS-25, kimbap shops, and power lines
Waiting, rushing, looking both ways
Concrete, asphalt and flashing signs
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But then there’s you
You are the backdrop of my days
Beckoning me, reminding me of something bigger
From here, at this distance you too
Look a bit grey
Like me and my town
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But I know you now
I know that up close
You are a stunner
I walk past the bakeries and the HomePlus
And across the bridge, and the trash-strewn river
It’s here that I doubt myself
And want to turn back
But I know you now
You are worth it
I cross the busy street
And walk the steep road to your base
Now, from here, I see only you
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Thank you for being here
My human friends aren’t around today
Chingu eopsseoyo! Image may be NSFW.
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But you are. Chingu isseoyo! Image may be NSFW.
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And, you… are magnificent
Your brownery and greenery
Your paths and your scenery
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Like a faithful lover
I fall in sync with you
And am still surprised by you
Though, I know you now
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Ah yes, at the breast of this curve
The view opens to the pines and sky above
And here, I catch a glimpse of the sea
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And from here, the town looks like what it is
The playthings of humanity
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And now I’m at the yaksuteo
I don’t need to carry water, you deliver it to me
Right when I need it, mid-mountain, sparkling
I scoop a red ladleful and drink it, resting my mind
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And on up, walking in peace
With every step, you heal me, soothe me,
Take away my rough edges and smooth me
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At the top, I stand arms wide open
The better to feel you and thank you,
Gaksan! Chingu isseoyo!
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——
Read more about how you can use ”Nature as Healer” in my book Tuning In to Inner Peace: The Surprisingly Fun Way to Transform Your Life
Filed under: Poem, Poetry, With Open Arms Book Tagged: Gaksan, Gyeonsangnamdo, healing, hiking, mountain, Nature, ocean, poem, Samcheonpo, South Korea, spring Image may be NSFW.
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