Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
A Flame Kindled by Forgiveness
On the dusty southern land,
Treading the dirt roads of a small village,
With injustice and discrimination etched in his eyes,
He walked, etching words
That burned with fire upon the stone paths.
With a heart set aflame he raised the flag,
And with a silent outcry
Shook the closed walls of power,
Yet only echoes of his voice
Remained in the shadow of iron bars.
Even through twenty-seven years of long silence,
He did not yield.
Using books and dreams as his lamp,
He planted the seeds of dawn.
The world heard his silence,
And in the light of release he spoke,
“I will embrace the fallen nation
With flowers of forgiveness, not the blade.“
Nelson Mandela, his name
Now remains a flame within the soul;
The one who planted saplings shining in black earth,
Awakening the wilderness from its sleep,
Shaking the slumbering hearts of the world.
The Light on a Wet Shoulder
On life’s journey, everyone
Meets a storm that soaks them to the bone.
Some stagger in the wind,
Embracing their drenched souls,
Then collapse or sink to the ground.
Even in that rain,
Is there truly no path
To follow a single ray of light?
Some, beneath lightning-split skies,
Hear a whisper soft as breath,
Find a light gently spreading
Through cracks in gray clouds,
And in the warmth settling on wet shoulders,
They call even this storm a festival’s drumbeat
And sing a song of thanks.
I too, in my youth,
Was thrown into a dark prison by the pain of illness,
But clung to the rope called prayer,
Never letting go of the star of hope.
And so today, I
Kindle flames of poetry upon a withered heart,
Offer warm light to hungry souls,
And seek to bloom, unbroken in the storm,
As an edelweiss bearing the fragrance of heaven.
The Sun
At every dawn, tearing through the veil of darkness,
With golden feathers fluttering, the sun ascends.
The source of all things, the breath of the Creator,
Pulsates endlessly, whispering its steady rhythm.
Its fiery gaze pours upon the Earth,
An eternal lamp holding the flame of life.
The pilgrimage that dances along the invisible path
Is a perfect symphony woven by God’s hand.
Beneath that light and warmth,
Flowers quietly open their lips, fruits ripen in the light.
All offer thanks for the silver blessings
Scattered by the sun,
And offer fragrant worship to the Master of the cosmos.
Wherever I am, burning with all my being,
With a heart that drives back the darkness,
I will become a small star that brightens the world.
Bio: Wansoo Kim
Wansoo Kim achieved Ph. D. in English Literature from the graduate school of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. He has published 8 poetry books. One poetry book, “Duel among a middle-aged fox, a wild dog and a deer” was a bestseller in 2012. He won the World Peace Literature Prize for Poetry Research and Recitation, presented in New York City at the 5th World Congress of Poets(2004). He published poetry books, “Prescription of Civilization” and “Flowers of Thankfulness“ in America.(2019), received Geum-Chan Hwang Poetry Literature Prize in Korea(2019) and International Indian Award(literature) from WEWU(World English Writer’s Union)(2019). He published “Heart of God” in America(2020). He published an autobiography book, “Secrets and Fruits of Mission” and a poetry book, “Flowers of Gratitude”(2021). He received India’s Independence Day Literary Honors 2021”(2021). He published the Chinese version of his ebook, “Heart of God,” which reached Amazon bestseller #1(2022). He published poetry books, “Captive of Crazy Love.”(2023) , “Teachings of Mother Nature(2024) and Exclamation Mark of Tears(2025).
