Lantern Review
Don Mee Choi
Pig Pigs Out
by Kim Hyesoon (trans. Don Mee Choi)
It’s Pig, Pig who has never seen the outside, always Pig, depressed Pig, Pig who cries wolf, Pig who has chosen the most terrified pig in the world to be the king, Pig who shouts Oh, fantastic sewer! while hugging its pillow, Pig who laughs alone hoping mommy will get arrested, mommy who gave birth to Pig who will pig out till it drops dead, Pig with bloated lips who thinks the whole world is rice porridge, it's XXXL Pig, Pig who takes up the entire bed, its name can only be Pig, shivering-shivering Pig whenever it hears Cross the ocean, yes-yes Pig who has never once raised its head, Pig who pigs out from fear when it looks up at the vast night sky, Pig who pigs out thinking that Pig who pigs out is Pig
Droopy front and back limbs Pig, oinks with its tail tucked between its legs Pig, air is bundled up but why is it so heavy Pig, smells like a steaming cloud when you put your hand in its armpit Pig, unbelievably soft Pig, ultimately snuggly Pig, play all your life riding on me Pig, rats gnaw on piglets yet cozy Pig, what have you stuffed into your eyes Pig, why doesn’t Pig know that it's Pig Pig, a photograph knows a mirror knows only you don't know Pig, never has looked out a window Pig, teeth pulled Pig, sigh Pig, regret Pig, after its teeth are pulled out and its tail cut off its tongue is lonely all by itself in its mouth Pig, but whenever it opens its mouth makes pig pig sounds Pig, pork Pig
qqqq the sound of Pig crying along with a crow perched on its head
qqqq naturally it’s Pig screaming when its owner goes to jail and piss and shit rises
up to Pig’s knees
qqqq the words that Pig yells inside when it denies being Pig
qqqq the words that Pig utters You’re Pig when you turn around to look at
your mommy being taken away
qqqq most of all, the squeals of our nation’s pigs that don’t know that I’m Pig