Through an open window
it slips in softly,
comes in
and sits down.

A small campsite
fills an empty space.

Our footsteps,
our voices,
raise a house of canvas.
We light a fire.

The sound of a car engine
fades into sand.

I think of my younger sister,
wrapping native ginkgo seeds,*
her thin hands
past the forty-five threshold.

Life
is becoming familiar with soil.
The more we forget, the more we rise,
and an unnameable sickness
barks its color.

Even in the Pocono mountains,
why are there no insect sounds—
is it because carrion bait
and pesticides have soaked in?

Morning, too,
comes relentlessly
through the window.
And the rain
was still falling.

* In Korea, native ginkgo seeds are simply the seeds of the ginkgo tree (은행나무, eunhaeng-namu), which is extremely common throughout the country. You’ll see these trees lining streets, parks, and temple grounds.They are the seeds from the female ginkgo tree, called 은행 (eunhaeng). Inside the foul‑smelling fruit is the edible ginkgo nut, called 은행알. These nuts have been used in Korean cooking for centuries.구운 은행 (roasted ginkgo) — a popular snack in fall and winter 죽 (rice porridge) — sometimes includes ginkgo 떡 (rice cakes) — added for flavor and color 전골, 탕 (hot pots and soups) — used as garnish or added for nutrition Ginkgo nuts are nutritious, but eating too many can be harmful, especially for children. Koreans usually limit the amount.

—Yoon Tae-Hun, August 16, 1998