comfort
Claire: As a Korean American, I am drawn to the complex historical, political, and cultural issue of comfort women, the majority of whom were forcibly recruited Korean women. "comfort" examines the relationship between an unnamed comfort woman and the Japanese soldiers complicit in her sexual enslavement.
comfort
i.
A rich man came
to our village
he wore silk robes
they told us he owns
a factory
Mr. Park asked me
if I wanted to work
at his factory
would I like to
honor my family
send money home
it’s near Beijing
he said
he was different
was not the imperial
beige uniform
we heard
whispered
through cracks
of paper-screen
his eyes were dark
like theirs
but his looked kind
how did we know
I do not know
ii.
we walked together
smiling arm in arm
looking back
waving
we were clustered
in a train
for days
it was hot
there was little water
one girl died
from dehydration
we slept
next to her
she looked like
she was sleeping
too
we went
to a hut
in Beijing
Mr. Park did not
come to greet us
one girl read
the sign
she told us
what it said
Sixth Station
Sakura House
they took us
separated us
we did not eat
we did not sleep
iii.
a Japanese soldier
took me
Shimura-san
he said
he came
every day
to see me
he came
back every night
with his friends
he had
many friends
they always
laughed
afterwards
but sometimes
Shimura-san
left me
a rice ball
after
they left
I forgot
their names
that was
years ago
iv.
when I seek comfort
in my husband’s arms
now I think of
the white rice ball
Shimura-san left me
molded together
by his thumb
Cover photo from New York Times