Devon Laundromat & Cleaners

4/1/2009

I want to sell my daughter for $1.00.
3 million people have been starved to death in North Korea last 10 years.
There is a woman selling her 6 year old daughter for $1.00.

On the street many people blamed her.
‘How come she sells her own blood daughter for her food?’
‘Why didn’t she work hard instead?’
‘It is too cheap $1.00, look even dog cost $300.00.’
‘She must be crazy.’

There is a soldier looking at these scene astonished.
He saw many times babies thrown away by poor parent.
But it was first time he saw mom selling her daughter.

6 years daughter shouted against audience.
“Don’t blame my mom. My mom is sick for cancer.
He now understand the mom before die is looking for
step parent to take care of her.

Suddenly police came to arrest mom
as she insults her daughter like slave trade.
The soldier paid mom $1.00 saying
“This is not for her but for your love to her.”

The mom took the money and run away.
The audiences whispered each other,  "I knew she wanted money".
The soldier thought, may be the mom was afraid of
If he changes his mind.

Minute later, she rushed coming back
with couple piece of bread on her hand
told to her own baby “Take this.”
And crying for farewell.

나는 살인자                                                                I am a murder.

(나는 직장에 출근 할 때마다                                    (Every time when I go to work,
자리에 누어 있는 시체들 옆으로                              I used to pass aside the dead bodies)
지나곤 했다.)

나는 살인자                                                                I am a murder.
스스로의 심판에                                                        I already have been executed
이미 처형당한 몸                                                       by my own judgment.

출근할때                                                                     When I go to work,
눈물 밖에 갖인게 없어                                              as I have nothing but tears,
동량손도 포기한 사람 앞을                                      In front of the people who already gave up begging
악당처럼 묵묵히 지나첬다.                                      I passed silently like a hooligan.
하여 퇴근할땐                                                           so I saw him dead when I go home.
그 사람은 죽어 있었으나

이렇게 아침부터 저녁까지                                       I don't know how many people died
하루에도 얼마나 죽었는지 모른다.                         From the morning to the evening,
이골목 저 골목 매일 매일                                        From this street to the other,
몇백인지 몇천인지 셀수 없다.                                 Hundreds, thousands, countless.

오 - - 밥이                                                                  Oh foods!
사람을 잡아먹는 이 땅에                                          On this land the foods eat the people
살아서 마주 볼 양심이 어디 있으랴                        Who has the consciousness to look each other
아침이여 나를 사형 해다오                                      Please execute me a death penalty in this morning,
밤이여 나를 묻어다오                                               Please bury me underground  in this night. 

밥이 남았네                                                                Food left over.

어디서 얻었는지                                                        Handful of cold rice,
찬밥 한덩이                                                                Where come from.
아내앞에 내 밀며                                                       Handling to wife,
남편은 즐겁게 말 했네.                                             Husband told happily
--나는 먹었소                                                             "I already had."

온 종일 뙈기밭 일구고                                              Farming back hill all day long,
산위에서 내려온 시부모께                                       To the parents-in-law just came from the hill.
며느리는 그 밥덩이                                                   Daughter-in-law stretched the rice,
배 부른듯 내 밀었네                                                  pretending she is full,
-- 이것밖에 안 남었네요                                           "This is all left over."

임신한 새 아기                                                          If the new daughter-in law is hungry
굶기는게 평생의 죄 같아서                                     It could be a lifelong crime,
속이 더 줄음지던 노인 내외                                    The old parents more  frustrated,
보물처럼 감추며 말 했네                                         told her like hiding  a jewelry.
이 밥이면 아침은 되겠수                                         "It will be enough breakfast for you."

그날 끝내 밥이 없는 집에                                        The day at this home with no food anywhere,
밥이 남았네                                                               Finally food was left over.

석달 전에 내 동생은                                                           Three month ago, my younger brother told
세상에 제일로 맛 있는건                                                   The most delicious one was
따뜻한 옥수수라고 했읍니다                                             A hot corn just steamed.

두달전에 내 동생은                                                             Two month ago, my little brother told
세상에 제일로 맛 있는건                                                    The most delicious one was
불에 구은 메뚜기라 했읍니다.                                            A grasshopper just  roasted.

한달전에 내 동생은                                                              Last month, my brother told
세상에서 제일 맛 있는건                                                     The most delicious one  was
어제밤 먹었던 꿈이라 했읍니다.                                         A dream just he ate.

지금 내 동생이 살아 있다면                                                Suppose he still alive,
세상에서 제일 맛 있는건                                                     The most delicious one is
이달에는 이 달에는 뭐라고 했을까요?                               What could be, what would be on this month.

.

쌀이 없는 집이어선지                                                    May be, because of the home with no rice
그 집엔 수까락이 없다.                                                 There was no spoon.
숫가락 마저 팔아서                                                       Last time, they served their father's memorial
언젠가 아버지 제사상 차렸다.                                      With the money they sold the last spoon.

누가 행복을 원치 않으랴                                              Who dare refuse the happiness.
죽물을 마시며 살아가는                                               surviving  with a drink of a thin gruel,
그집 다섯식구                                                               The home, five mouths to feed.

소원은 하나 같았으니                                                  Their only one wish,
앞으로 살림이 조금 펴지면                                         when they recover from this poverty,
집 안에 두고싶은 첫 재산은                                        The first equity must be
숫가락 다섯개                                                               Five spoons.

우리의 밥은                                                               Our food is
쌀밥이 아니다.                                                           Not  rice,
나무다.                                                                        It is tree
나무 껍질이다.                                                           Bark, tree skin.

우리의 밥은                                                                Our food is
산에서 자란다.                                                           Grow in mountain,
바위를 헤치고 자라서                                                As it grow between rock
먹기엔 너무도 아프다                                                It is too painful to eat,
우리의 밥은 아프다.                                                  Our food is pain.

두꺼은 나무껍질                                                        The thick bark,
가난이 끓는물에 삶아내어                                        boiled in poor water
꺼내선 망치로 때리고                                               Pull out from the pot
끓이고 또 때려도                                                       smash with hammer and boil again,
목을 죄는 밧줄 같아                                                  As it is like a rope  squeezing my neck
석지 않으면 안되는 양잿물                                      Should mix with caustic soda
그래야만 반죽되는 나무껍질                                   The bark to make dough

그것도 밥니라고                                                        Pretending rice
우리는 나무를 빚는다.                                              We cook the tree
한숨속에 나무를 빚는다.                                          breathing  with deep sigh.
오 - 그러면                                                                 Oh !, my God.
그 몇덩이                                                                   The dough,
우리의 눈물덩인가.                                                   It may be drops of our tears
볼 수록 꽉 메는 목구멍                                             that chock my neck, over and over.

그 몇덩이도 없어                                                       As lack of the dough
그런 밥도 없어                                                           Because of no suck rice
먹고 사는 전 세계 목숨들이여                                 All the people in this world who eat for living
이 나라엔 산이 모두 벗겨지고도                             Though all the mountain in this country are bald
그러고도 나무가 모자라                                           without tree, as lack of tree,
수 백만이 굶어 죽었다.                                             Three millions people were starved to death.