My Friend’s Ex-Wife

Sometimes I miss

my friend’s ex-wife

a whole lot.

Whose friend are you?!

my friend would pout.

Friend, I can see you any time at all.

Your ex-wife, though,

I rarely get to see her now

and it’s all your fault!

Her signature cutesy hehe still rings in my ears.

Her constant, wistful smile is still vivid in my eyes.

But I can’t even mention her name

or I might become an ex-friend.

My friend’s ex-wife, who my friend had loved.

She’s been the wife of another for a while now,

my friend’s ex-wife.

Life and Dog

Is that person even allowed

to have such a beautiful dog?

That person, with their rough, unfortunate face.

I doubt they can even feed themself.

Oh, what a beautiful dog.

Its coat gleams and its gaze is deep.

It must be well-bred

and well-loved.

The Quasimodo-like owner dotes on it, worships it,

and it seems to love the owner, the dog,

much too beautiful for these tenement streets.

So, what, is that person only allowed

to have dogs that aren’t beautiful?

What, they shouldn’t

have any dogs at all?

by Eins Hwang

Translated by Soeun Seo