Hi friends,
In this week’s newsletter, I include the final two poems I wrote in February. The inspiration behind these poems was: I want to be in love with my life. You can read Part 1 that holds the first three poems.
I hope you have a gentle week.
With love,
Jieun
Jieun’s First Audition
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
7:00 am,
Messy bun,
Glasses on,
One eye closed,
Scrolling through my phone.
Holding a bottle of milk with my face,
Running on 5 hours of sleep.
Diana 서형,
Artist friend.
Casting calls,
Secret dreams,
Bedford Park.
이건 인연일 수밖에 없어.
“You should go for it!”
“You put your energy out there,
so it was picked up in the wavelength.”
A tripod and 아빠‘s phone.
Greg behind the camera.
Slates and interview questions.
Closeups and full-lengths.
I gave birth to a child five months ago.
“Who do you think you are?”
“I’m a person who wants to try.”
It worked.
Describe a memorable dream.
Describe a time you were really happy.
Describe a time you were really sad.
The dream about the baby hawk
that flew through the screen door
and cuddled in my lap
at our Springfield home.
Canoeing at Burke Lake
with 아빠, 엄마, and Greg,
in the sweltering heat of July.
Canoe races and 엄마
planting her face on a rock.
We could not stop laughing.
”아빠, 많이 아파?“
”그만 할래?“
“알았어, 아빠 잘 싸웠어.”
Haejoon slept the whole time.
We Never Part
Thursday, February 20, 2025
8:30 am
I want to have better boundaries with my phone.
Writing in my journal.
Taking the dog out.
Eating breakfast.
Going for my morning walk.
“It’s 10 am,
You made it outside,
You’re doing a great job,
I’m proud of you.”
Double voices,
Great experiences.
“Everything speaks.”
“Everything comes alive.”
“In conversation, there will be the unspoken.”
Remember to look up.
Remember to look at the sky.
Remember to pay attention.
Remember to look closely.
Remember to listen closely.
아빠 is still here.
아빠 is everywhere.
Bunny milk.
Bun-bun.
Best friend.
톡끼.
슈퍼맨!
I want to be a mother who apologizes.
Have you ever watched a coffee shop?
Club gathering #8,
conversations as art.
Encouraging,
listening,
holding space,
asking questions,
feeding.
Little jars of sweet potato soup,
from Hong Kong,
to Houston,
to Brooklyn.
Little jars of love keep us alive.
“Don’t count that out.
The 7th grade play.
You know something about acting.”
Eyes welling up with tears,
Tears streaming down my face,
Massive waves of grief and regret.
I wish I never hated him.
He loved me through it all.
Safe enough to break,
Soft enough to fall apart,
Held together by my friends,
This is community.
I am living the dream.
She buried her dreams when she came to America.
I told myself she didn’t believe in me.
I couldn’t accept his pride in me.
넌 아무거나 할수있어.
He played my music all the time.
엄마 always believed in me.
아빠 always believed in me.
엄마 will always believe in me.
아빠 will always believe in me.
지은아,
우리 하나밖에 없는 딸 지은이
우리 귀한 이쁜 딸 지은이
우리는 니가 너무 자랑스럽다.
항상,
맨날,
평생.
잊지 말아라.
사랑한다.
When people die,
We move them into the past,
But I feel 아빠 every day.
We never part.
Dearest Patreon Members, thank you so much for your continued support, of us and our work. You are our friends from every phase of our lives — childhood, 20s, 30s, LiNK, Students Helping Honduras, music, church, and life. You are fans we met at shows. You are listeners of our music. You are readers of my writing. You are women. You are Asian. You are Korean. You are People of the Global Majority. You are artists. You are activists. You are queer. You are Christian. You are grievers. You are mothers. You are fathers. You are deep feelers.
Greg and I feel incredibly honored to be supported by you. Thank you.
