"고생 끝에 낙이 온다"
(After hardship comes happiness)—
Walking and observing my surroundings,
I found minor traces of happiness astounding!
The cats were foraging through
a supermarket dumpster with care—
food to eat, scrounging for their vitals
to secure a tidbit share.
Before someone's pity could intervene,
they unearthed wet food pouches,
their survival instincts thriving despite
the city's denial, urban dismissal, and touches.
---
"하늘이 무너져도 솟아날 구멍이 있다"
(Even if the sky falls, there will be a hole to escape)—
My mind is witnessing an absentia,
a daredevil with dementia.
Happiness is measured across timescales,
so I hallucinate a time machine for a new tale!
I keep perfuming my mind with sweet moments,
but the scent doesn't resonate
or settle near me, even adjacent!
Emotional comfort is now a luxury to own,
eliminating my own prejudices is yet to be shown.
---
"작은 고추가 맵다"
(Small peppers are spicy)—
The furnished table and glistening sitting room chairs,
royalty shines in my every glare.
The palace was an irony in itself,
my mansion now seems a hut in an instant.
But the polished frames holding Picasso's work
don't compete with my child's doodle artwork
or my mother's embroidered curtains atop!
The cast iron coal pots, where my wife
prepares traditional delicacies,
highlighting endless rhythms of my house,
outshines this palace's melodies and fancies!
---
"가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다"
(If outgoing words are beautiful, incoming words will be beautiful)—
The great wave of defiance remains
unheard and unseen,
when the knight’s armour and sword
melt in kindness’s embrace, to own their spin.
Give and take is more than diplomacy or win,
when words are genuine,
gracious healing gives radiance to the shield's skin!
The king is transient, and so is the queen,
let the kingdom thrive on a generous heart, serene. 

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