In the heart of winter—
long before we notice—
winter slips away.

After the snowstorm, the gusting wind,
quick as a cat flashing past,
claws sharpened,
its leaving rough,
its absence sudden,
no backward glance.

Winter slips away—
borne on the wind,
as inward shelters soften and melt,
pressing outward toward the boundless,
forgetting all the anyways,
every careful adjustment,
each form yielding to the next.

A new world rises
from a corner of cold,
spreading until the whole cosmos
leans toward harmony.

Can you hear
the face of unease beginning to crack?
Can you hear
the first breath of evaporation,
the icy world loosening
into an early, half-known joy?

Nature longs
for her mother’s bosom.

Welcome the new world—
without hesitation.

— TaeHun Yoon
February 4, 2026
Beginning of Spring, Lunar Calendar