＜BLESSING＞ Just a little - 윤동재 시인의 ＜축복＞

[김문철]

BLESSING

by D.J. Yoon

Elder Park of our church
Never had a wrinkle in his trousers
Nor did he ever enter the sanctuary
Without a perfectly knotted tie.

Every Sunday, without fail
He arrived in the back seat of a Mercedes Benz
His wife behind the wheel.

Even his photograph in the church bulletin
Looked as though it belonged in a glossy magazine
Drawing admiring glances
From young deacons
To elderly deaconesses.

Even if he never went to work
The rent from his buildings in Gangnam
Kept pouring in
And the employees at his shops in Myeong dong
Faithfully sent him his share.

His two daughters
Had graduated from foreign language high schools
One went on to Harvard
The other to Yale.

Among his friends
Were several members of the National Assembly
Though he may not have read much literature
He knew plenty of writers
Whenever one of them published a book
He would buy up the entire first printing.

Musicians adored him, too
Whenever they gave a concert
He would purchase tickets in bulk
And give them away.

As for the rest of us
We came by subway or city bus
And as we wrote our names
On our offering envelopes
We found ourselves calculating
The interest on our bank loans.

And yet, every Sunday
We sat in the pews behind him
Singing the same hymns
Praying in the name
Of our living Lord, Jesus Christ
Begging Him to bless us.

Just a little
Just a little
Bless us, Lord
Bless us.

Then, one Sunday morning
He, of all people
Swallowed a handful of sleeping pills
Bought himself a one way ticket
And crossed the River Jordan.

축복

-윤동재

우리 교회 박 장로는

바지 주름이 흐트러진 적이 없었다

넥타이를 매지 않고

예배당에 들어선 적도 없었다

주일이면 어김없이

아내가 모는 벤츠

뒷자리에 앉아 왔다

주보에 실린 사진조차 화보 같아서

젊은 집사 늙은 권사 할 것 없이

눈길을 줄줄 달고 다녔다

그가 출근하지 않아도

강남의 빌딩은 꼬박꼬박 월세를 물어 왔고

명동의 매장에서는 점원들이 알아서 돈을 부쳐 왔다

두 딸은 외고를 나와

하나는 하버드에

하나는 예일에 가 있었다

국회의원 친구도 여럿이었다

문인들의 책은 읽지 않았어도

아는 문인은 많았다

그들이 책을 낼 때마다

초판은 그가 책임졌다

연주자들도 그를 좋아했다

연주회가 열릴 때마다

티켓을 사서 돌리는 사람이

그였으므로

우리는 지하철역에서 내려

마을버스를 타고 와서

헌금 봉투에 이름을 쓰다 말고

대출 이자를 셈했다

그래도 주일마다 우리는

그의 뒷자리에 앉아

그와 같은 찬송을 부르며

살아 계신 우리 주 예수 그리스도의 이름으로

기도했다

저만큼만

저만큼만

축복해 주시라고

그런 그가 글쎄

어느 주일 아침

수면제 몇 알로

제 몫의 티켓을 끊어

요단강을 건너가 버렸다

BLESSING

Simple Review 感想

“Blessing” by D.J. Yoon is a touching and thought-provoking poem about wealth, happiness, and the true meaning of God's blessings.

The poem tells the story of Elder Park, a rich and respected church member who seems to have everything in life.

He owns expensive buildings, drives a luxury car, has two successful daughters, and knows many important people.

In contrast, the other church members live ordinary lives, worry about money, and pray for God's blessings.

They look at Elder Park as someone who has already received so much from God.

However, the poem ends with a shocking and sad event when Elder Park takes his own life.

This unexpected ending makes readers realize that money, success, and fame do not always bring true happiness or peace.

It also reminds us that we cannot know how much pain someone may be hiding behind a happy and successful appearance.

The poet uses simple words, everyday scenes, and gentle humor to share a deep message about human life.

Above all, the poem invites us to think about what a true blessing really is and reminds us that the greatest blessings in life may be things that money cannot buy.

#blessing  #River Jordan 

[김문철]

시인은 쉽고 소박한 언어와 일상적인 장면들, 그리고 잔잔한 유머를 통해 인간의 삶에 대한 깊은 메시지를 전하고 있습니다.
무엇보다 이 시는 진정한 축복이란 과연 무엇인지를 되돌아보게 하며, 우리 삶에서 가장 소중한 축복은 어쩌면 돈으로 살 수 없는 것들일지도 모른다는 사실을 조용하지만 깊은 울림으로 전해 줍니다.

[윤동재]

감사합니다