Quiet beauty in Korea — a poem

Aesthetic treats of the day.
Certain frames trap my eyes.
I feel an urge to stare and stay.
Best succumb. Just looking,
not shopping, not craving, not judging
sometimes flipping
into fleeting meditation.
These zen appreciation
moments happen often
in a foreign place.
Best if passive and silent
but sometimes a whoop
leaks out.

Ginseng liquor for sale at a store in the Korean DMZ.

Ginseng liquor for sale at a store in the Korean DMZ.  Elegant.

Garden pines in the 2-acre grounds of Seoul Art Space Yeonhui

Garden pines in the 2-acre grounds of Seoul Art Space Yeonhui. They grow in a shapely fashion

comma-web

Pause at the yellow commas. Enjoy the colour, the form, and the debris.

Bulldozer at work demolishing a house

Two days ago this was an awkward, flimsy abandoned house. Tomorrow it may be a new house.

feast-for-writers-web

A feast for the writers in residence at Seoul Art Space Yeonhui. Vividness, lavishness, and flavour.

Long table and long curved bench with coffee drinkers in a converted warehouse

Coffee house with a warm buzz. Gleaming expanses and raw concrete that ought to alienate but soothe instead.

 

Travel notes and photos by Rachel McAlpine at Seoul Art Space Yeonhui— feel free to share. 


 

 

4 thoughts on “Quiet beauty in Korea — a poem

  1. Sadje says:

    Good one. Your vivid description make me feel as if I have seen it with my own eyes.

  2. Elizabeth says:

    The wood in that coffee house is indeed inviting and makes a warm contrast with the concrete. I would certainly sit down there.

    1. If only we could have a coffee there together!

      1. Elizabeth says:

        Nice idea.

%d bloggers like this: