Fig forest

Sometimes, love happens at first sight. It’s determined the moment you lay eyes on something. Losing your mind can happen surprisingly quickly. If you ask me why I fell in love, the answer doesn’t come immediately. That’s because I didn’t fall in love for a specific reason. I’ve encountered my fair share of poems, but when I first read this one, my initial reaction was, ‘It's incredibly good.’ Hwang In-chan’s work illustrates how people can fall in love with things that aren’t human.

This poem doesn’t offer explicit explanations. The evening of rinsing rice feels near, and the dream of love seems distant. Yet, as we delve into the poem, comprehension dawns effortlessly.

Today, when I prepare and eat a meal, it’s just the outer shell, while the past, when I loved that person, is the substance. Having lost that person, I am a ghost, and the only one who loves that person is the genuine one. The poet depicts it vaguely, yet readers distinctly understand it.

“How do you remember all that?” This phrase is from the poet’s other poem, ‘Image Photo.’ A poet is someone who recalls things that seem impossible to remember and someone who resurrects even lost memories. Imagine the terror of losing both love and memories. Right here lies the most beautiful and fragile rendition of the song ’You left, but I didn’t let you go.’