Long-Term Karma 

By Malarkey: Kevin D’Abramo, Wil Rawlins, Dan Lloyd, Jonathan Amey, Caitlin O’Neill 

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Seong-hee met the protesters 

despite her mother’s deep sighs. 

She held her sign “Soldiers get out!” 

with fierce pride in her eyes. 

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You gain or lose your karma 

by the choices that you make. 

To your own self be true 

no matter what it takes. 

.

Dong-hyun stayed up late to clean his M-16 

Next day he marched and did pushups. 

Looked up at the May sun, he said, 

“Should be an easy mop-up.” 

.

You gain or lose your karma 

by the choices that you make. 

To your own self be true 

no matter what it takes. 

.

The crowd amassed at the park 

Taegeukgi-draped coffins shuffled. 

Dong-hyun’s mean black eyes took aim 

As Seong-hee’s shouts got muffled. 

Seong-hee never came back home 

Her mother’s wails whipped the streets. 

Dong-hyun got a shiny medal; 

on an oak desk, he kicked up his feet. 

.

Reborn in the year twenty eighty-four 

Seong-hee’s mind shone like a gem. 

She rose up through the political ranks 

became a chief at the UN. 

.

Strolling down the street one day, 

a rat crept out from the gutter. 

Seong-hee recognized the mean black eyes, 

“Pathetic fool” she uttered. 

.

You gain or lose your karma 

by the choices that you make. 

To your own self be true 

no matter what it takes. 

.

The Author 

Malarkey is a versatile band whose repertoire spans original rock music and a wide variety of covers. Malarkey have performed in the Jeolla provinces as well as at Seoul’s HBC Festival, Jeonju’s Picnic Forest, and have opened for Crackshot and Walking After U. In 2022, they released their album Propaganda Dogs.