회색 양말을 신고 나갔다가 집에 와 벗을 때 보니
색깔이 비슷한 짝짝이 양말이었다.
이젠 아무래도 좋다는 것인가.
비슷하면 무조건 똑같이 읽어버리는 눈.
작은 차이를 일일이 다 헤아려보는 것이 귀찮아
웬만한 것은 모두 하나로 묶어버리는 눈.
무차별하게 뭉뚱그려지는
숫자들 글자들 사람들 풍경들 앞에서
주름으로 웃는 눈.
웃음으로 얼버무리면 마냥 사람 좋아보이는 얼굴.
이젠 아무래도 좋단 말인가.
빨래 바구니에 처박히자마자
저마다 다른 발모양과 색깔과 무늬와 질감을 버리고
빨랫감 하나로 뭉뚱그려지는 양말들
KIM Ki-taek (b. 1957) was born in Anyang and made his literary debut in 1989. His major works include Fetal Sleep (1991), Storm in the Eye of a Needle (1994), Administrative Staff (1999), Ox (2005), and Gum (2009). He won various literary prizes with the poetry books such as Kim Sooyoung Literary Award (1995), Hyundae Literary Award (2000), and also published a few children’s books. In his poetry, the poet has focused on human physicality and the relationship between the body and the violence inflicted upon it. Upon the question ‘why do you write a poem?,’ he answers it is a way of enduring himself, of euduring materialized violence, of enduring everyday’s life.
