Kim Hyesoon

GRIEF
.
God raised cows on a ranch in the sea
The cows fattened leisurely eating grass
There were no herders, no fences
We couldn’t see even with our eyes open
but every cow’s head was branded with God’s seal
God played a flute when night came
All the blue cows were gathered
God scoffed at all the cows

I stole one of the cows and
gave it to a Mongolian who
with one hand kept the lamb’s mouth shut
and with another made a hole in its heart
He said, this cow belongs to the sea
It has no fur, no flesh. We don’t eat anything from the sea
The cow belongs to him – his body made entirely of tears
The lamb he caught was skinned
without a single drop of blood or a scream

This time I had no choice but
to eat the blue cow by myself
My body became covered in blue mold
I couldn’t feel the cold and roamed the streets in sub-zero weather
Except for the salt crystals falling from one of my eyes
The sea grabbed my ears everywhere I went
and rippled all day
I couldn’t sleep at all