MOULTING No.6: Comfort Women
The body does not forget
The gash, permanent
Always bleeding
Unable to heal.
*
To you
My story is
History
Not is
But was
*
But I live this history
Every
Day
*
The gash scabs over, momentary relief
Only to be ripped open
Each time I must tell my story
Again and again
*
You are never satisfied
Always needing to be reminded
Of my worth
Of my innocence
That I deserve your attention, your care
You’d rather I remain silent
*
How I long to remain silent!
How I long to bury the pain
In the deepest corners of my memory
So that I can forget
So that I might enjoy some peace.
*
*
But I cannot forget.
Forgetting is a luxury this body can’t afford
Even as I walk outside to feel the sun on my face
I’m reminded that
My body is a reminder to you of the horrors you are capable of
The violence you can do to just one body
The shame
The shame
*
You’d rather my body
Disappear
Thrown out like disposable trash
But even trash doesn’t disappear
It floats on the ocean
As big as an island
Reminding us of all that we’ve consumed
Without conscience or thought
*
This body may die
But my story
And the stories of my sisters
Us Comfort Women
They will live on
In the memories of young girls everywhere
*
*
*
Soyoung L Kim