Feet stand upon the mountain—
we gaze outward, yet the eyes turn inward too.

Within the chest, anger burns, shame circles,
hope flickers like a flame trembling in the wind of sorrow,
and a cry—endless, wandering through invisible distances.

Close to the ear, faintly, gravel cracks beneath each step,
as time passes, as a traveler unsure of his way.

The inner world becomes stars,
suspended in the sky, drifting above a new flame—
yet even the stars tire, surrendering to ash.

Where the poor stand,
their earth-toned faces glow like blood,
shoulder to shoulder—an unfinished prayer, a wounded hymn.

Eyes of longing and farewell stir the wind,
lift the dust from weary feet.

After jeers, after laughter—shame becomes the world’s secret.
A black beast, its fur bristling,
sits deep within your gaze. That is fear.

And yet, there—
a light rises from the snow-covered peak,
like hope awakening from emptiness.

The square is empty,
but doors walk beneath the trees,
open, wider still, as if seeking comfort.

Where are they going?
Toward the place where sorrow becomes song,
where peace joins hands with justice,
and the foundations of the earth are rebuilt in quiet grace.

– Note

• This poem, “The True Nature’s Magnanimity” was born from the tension between grief and hope, silence and the cry for justice. Standing on the mountain becomes a metaphor for the human soul that endures—looking outward at a broken world, yet turning inward toward its own wounded light.
• It is written for those who walk through desolation yet still believe in dawn; for those who hold hands across the dust of exile, whispering that love remains, even when the world forgets its name.

© TaeHun Yoon, 1980