October Story By Lee Hyang Ji
Translated by Rodney E. Tyson & Hong Eun-Taek
Poem Gate. January 15, 2002.
The pregnant moon
Comes down from the boughs of a pine tree
And goes around the corner of a brick houseIf she leans backwards just a little more
Perhaps she will give birth to a cinnamon tree*The cinnamon tree has made
This poor moon its mama
The moon rests her belly on a pine tree bough
And lies on her side
"Mama"
The tree calls to the moonThe moment comes when the moon's head reaches back to her heels
My baby, my baby! The sound of her calling
Goes up against an alleyThe corner of the brick house is like high noon
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*cinnamon tree: The Korean word used in this poem, kyesunamu, is the name of a tree sometimes called a Chinese cinnamon tree or a cassia bark tree. In Korean folklore, this tree was said to live on the moon because it was believed that some of the dark spots on the moon resembled the tree.
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