You are not here, but…
That night, you were in deep sleep and looked comfortable.
Now that you moved to a quieter room,
I wanted you to take time and relax.
I wanted you to rest but not go away forever.
You didn’t even know I was next to you
And left without a word.
Why were you in such a hurry?
You didn’t like my small complaints?
You should’ve told me so. I would’ve listened.
You didn’t want to see my sad face?
You should’ve said not to show up.
I would’ve hidden behind a chair.
You didn’t have enough energy?
You should’ve asked for a tonic drink.
I had it brewed up waiting for your command.
The world is heedless.
How could all things go around as before?
The sun rises and sets and rain falls.
I feel guilty.
How can I go on living –
Eat, sleep, and run errands?
I am lost, lonely, and missing you.
Why am I here?
When you are not?
By Bonnie Oh
Bonnie Oh (nee Bongwan Cho), native of South Korea, attended the prestigious Seoul National University one and a half years before coming to the United States. She received a B.A. in history from Barnard College, Columbia University, an M.A. in European and Russian history from Georgetown, and a Ph.D. in East Asian history from the University of Chicago. She served as a professor and academic administrator for thirty-eight years and retired from Georgetown in 2006.
Bonnie authored, coauthored or edited books such as Legacies of Comfort Women of WWII (2001), Korea Under the American Military Government (2002), and The Korean Embassy in America. She contributed articles to Compton's Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Oxford Encyclopedia, and World Book Encyclopedia and wrote articles and reviews for refereed journals such as American Historical Review, Journal of Asian Studies, and Korea Journal. Creative writing is her post-retirement endeavor.
RSS 2.0 Feed