When I was out in Dublin with Sparrow
I remember listening carefully
To everyone speaking different languages
Out in the street.
Dublin was a very international city;
People all over the world came to visit
And to make a living.
I recall seeing a family walk by,
Smiling, laughing, talking,
And then I heard a snippet
Of Korean.
Just the instant sound of a few words
Was enough to whisk me back
Into a place that felt like home.
Whenever I hear Korean,
Part of my heart wants to burst
Into a thousand fluttering pieces
And I begin to ache
My spirit drowning in memories
That are mine, that aren’t mine,
That are ours.
For some people it’s a smell,
A taste, or the feel of fabric
But for me, it’s the entire Korean language
That brings me into that place
Between the sacred sands and sleep.
I might have been in Dublin
But I might as well have been
At home.
D.H. Lee
