By Stephen Kagarise.

Imagine a cozy
yet spacious-sized cube
and step inside.
Above you, a green
metal overpass
blocks the snow
wind, and rain, while
it thrums with
the murmur of cars.
Square rubber
mats of dark green
cushion your feet.
Set the cube in
a cathedral of trees
beside a bus stop.
A stained-glass
mosaic of overarching
foliage shimmers
in the midday sun.
As you swing your arms
back to front after
each set of chin-ups
bathe in the soft
green luminescence.

The Author
Stephen Kagarise has been living in Gwangju for the past eight years. Dansa Park was once a stop-off on many of his long walks. It had a fully stocked exercise area, but also tables and benches where older people could sit and chat, space for dogs to run and play, and a narrow band of almost wild-like greenery in the gap between two overpasses. Email:

Safe New Year

By Muthukumar Elangovan.

Never before the whole world turned
Upside down when we all mourned
For the tolls
Of lost souls
In the fight against COVID-19.
That’s most of last year’s scene!

We took steps that are giants’,
With an alliance of modern science.
Lot’s learned,
That’s earned,
And contrived a swift vaccine
To break the shackles of quarantine!

This New Year’s not bringing an end.
But it’s the beginning of descent
Down steep hill.
With strong will
And bold smile upon despair,
I wish you a safe New Year!

The Author
Muthukumar Elangovan is a molecular biologist at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). He’s a naturalist, loves reading non-fiction books, and writes poetry, short stories, and other topics on his blog. Email: pentomuthu@gmail.com