Our Korean New Year

the wardrobe springs open
our eyes gaze upon the selection of clothes
drawn by the attention of our traditional hanbok
I’ve seen enough pictures from years ago to know how long our family has done this
and I smile at the thought of wearing this again, for the first time in a year

a pleasant smell coats the air
thick with the scent of eggs and broth
I see rice cakes being pulled out of a plastic package
the frozen lumps would soon be thawed
as I guessed, the warm soup runs down my throat
my bones tremble at the feel
the comforting taste of ddeokguk

my mom brings out her phone
my family gathers around it, eager looks facing the camera
it takes two rings for a response
the faces of my grandparents stare back at us
news is exchanged
after all, we rarely meet them in person;
they live in Korea    

as I lie in bed, I grin from the events we had
to celebrate the Korean New Year