“Making food is the only talent I have, so I wish to donate this talent while staying together to share sadness.”

         –    Ahn Yu-seong at Muan International Airport, January 2025



taking the ladle, he pours another scoop

of porridge, abalone soft to the teeth. it has been

too hard for them to swallow. death has

settled on too many of their shadows.

they drink each serving, sometimes muster

the strength to eat a piece of gimbap

or the corner of a sandwich. forced too

often to view footage of a flame, words

have receded into stares. the emergency

responders had broken down in tears.

nobody had been brought to their wards.

since catastrophe, the ddeokguk has been

too hard to chew.