Joon Park

Life, to me, is a tightrope – a series of equilibria that can be tipped over to one extreme or another by the smallest things. And consequently, I tend to deny that such small things were small to begin with...

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Fool's Gold

When I was ten years old
my fourth grade class took a trip
to Old Town Sacramento
where I struck gold
at a gift shop
among postcards of Fort Sutter
and T-shirts reading
I went to mine for gold
and all I got was this stupid T-shirt.

A few flakes suspended
in a clear plastic cube
the size of a die
for four ninety-nine
and I would let
my envious classmates see
but not touch
because it was gold
and it was MINE.

Taking it out nonchalantly
in the middle of a crowd
admiring it
and soon being chased to the corners
by greedy little fingers
everyday

until my fourth grade class moved on
from the Gold Rush to the California Missions
and adobe ruled the day 
and I, in defensive habit, 
would run to the corner of the world
unchased,
the gold 
hiding in my pocket
in embarrassment.