TANYA KO HONG AND THE PAIN WITHIN HER KOREAN ROOTS

BIODATA OF TANYA KO HONG

Tanya (Hyonhye) Ko Hong is an internationally published poet, translator, and cultural-curator who champions bilingual poetry and poets.
Born and raised in South Korea, she immigrated to the USA at the age of eighteen. She is the author of five books, including The War
Still Within (KYSO Flash Press, 2019). The book is the winner of Ko Won’s Memorial Foundation. Her poetry appears in Rattle, Beloit Poetry Journal,Entropy, Cultural Weekly, WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly
(The Feminist Press), great weather for MEDIA, the Choson Ilbo, and The Korea Times,
among others. She is pursuing a Ph.D.
at Pacifica Graduate Institute and holds an MFA degree from Antioch University, Los Angeles.

POEMS BY TANYA KO HONG

The Death of a Young Man (Cold Case)

It was me who died that day
When you were complaining that
you had to u-turn
did you have a moment to think
(Someone is pointing a gun at you now)
Wouldn't you be frozen

Two shots at my head
Five shots in my chest
Total seven shots and
the car driven over me
I couldn’t be recognized

I almost made it to
the headline news
Just like my life
they pay no attention
to my death

Police report said
Approximately 15 years old black boy
Name- John Doe
Guardians- None
Address-Unknown
Emergency Contact-Unattainable

My dead body dismissed
Case dropped
I am gone

But,
Can someone who knows me
come and tell me
What was my name
Where was my home
What was my dream
What did I like
Who held me
When I was born
Who clapped
When I took my first step
Is that possible to know
Is that too much to ask

Nobody knows
When I was born
When I was dead

REMEMBER THE NAMES

Rest in power:

박순정 Soon Chung Park

김현정 Hyun Jung Grant (Kim)

김순자 Sun Cha Kim

유용애 Yong Ae Yue

Delaina Ashley Yaun

Paul Andre Michels

谭⼩洁 Xiaojie Tan

冯道友 Daoyou Feng