As TCKs, we may not know our extended family well, but when we do get to know them, the distance can seem so very great. Melanie Hyo-In Han shares in this poem a relationship between a grandchild and a grandfather and the unknown future.
Tomorrow 만약에…
by Melanie Hyo-In Han
I wake up to silence
and no 카카오 notification
from you, Grandpa,
no 좋은 아침, 좋은 하루
to start my day
What if I get a call from 엄마
telling me to fly back to Korea
but the quickest route.
takes 16 hours and 10 minutes
Heathrow to Frankfurt to Incheon
What if I arrive at the 창동 아파트
두 팔 활짝 벌리지만
you’re not there
saying 사랑하는 한효인
and pulling me into a hug
What if I never get to hear
the stories of your travels
to Alaska, Germany, the Philippines,
and you never get to read
the poems I write about you
What if I call you right now
disregarding the time difference
to tell you 사랑해요, 할아버지
고마워요, 할아버지
떠나지마요, 할아버지
Born in Korea and raised in East Africa, Melanie Hyo-In Han recently moved from the U.S. to the U.K. She is the author of Abecedarian: Banff, Canada (Kith Books), My Dear Yeast (Milk & Cake Press), and Sandpaper Tongue, Parchment Lips (Finishing Line Press).
You read more about Melanie at her website or by following her on Instagram.
