Winter Wind

Eyes reflecting the flickering of the lanterns
waiting for the ringing of the doorbell and the tapping of heels.
The white tail swirls, catching in the branches,
while snowflakes dance outside, flying in the wind.
raindrops drumming a lonely tune on the splintered wood.

Enchantment

Frosty December evenings 
were filled with whispers of Santa’s sleigh,
cutting through the midnight sky as I looked out the window,
eight years old, convinced I could
see the shimmer of Santa’s sleigh streaking across the stars,
hearing the jingle of the bells outside our window.
Red stockings were hung with glitter, presents wrapped in green.
“Children see magic because they look for it.”
I looked for magic in the half-eaten cookies and a thank you note
from Santa written in loopy script,
hope for a jolly man in a red suit to arrive and for red-nosed reindeers
to whisk me away.

With every year the sparkling lights become a decoration;
I no longer force myself awake,
straining to hear the sound of sleigh bells on the roof. Instead
the spark remains
in the laughter of the children, gifts being unwrapped, 
and the sound of Christmas carols lightly whispering childhood
enchantment.
Magic is never gone; it is hidden beneath red carpets on
silent, starry Christmas lights,
waiting to be found again.

Midnight Sky

cutting through the dimming stars as we looked out to the open,
searching for hope in the cold air and dark sky
and the sound of cheerful tunes lightly whispering for innocence
Dreams are never gone; they are hidden beneath the grass on
silent, starry summer days 

Lanterns flicker over the Han River market, casting
pools of beer across the dancing stalls. 

Fresh-baked hotteok and grilled mackerel accompany the 
vendor’s yells.

Karen Lee is a high school from South Korea and currently attending school in Virginia. She has an unquenchable passion for both writing and drawing. In preparation for her future academic endeavours, she is diligently compiling her writing portfolio and has recently received an acceptance to Iowa Young Writer’s Studio, a distinguished programme that identifies and nurtures emerging writing talent.