Martyr 1

Kim, Nam-Ju


In everyday life,
she was a quite person.
Her name wasn't known
and she didn't draw attention to herself.


Above all else, she knew that keeping time
was the first step to keeping order,
and was never late one minute.
She worked for her comrades as she would work for herself.
She was thorough in criticizing them and herself.
but that criticism was not a weapon for attacking
those around her.
For the good of the organization, she did everything that
was needed,
whether the work was big, small, important, or insignificant.
No matter how unimportant the work,
order and organization came first,
and the work was done patiently and promptly.
Even in her dreams, she worried about the future of all,
devising strategies and tactics with the scrutiny of a fighter


At last, the time for attack came.
When the trumpet sounded, signaling the advance,
and she stood with arms,
she seemed to be a rock, a dangerous mountain.
Her arrow of hate pointed towards the enemy
seemed to the nails of the eagle, the teeth of the lion
Each time one battle ended,
she prepared for another, and yet another
And, through each of these times,
she never stopped believing herself to be
a revolutionary.



Note:The Korean pronoun '그는', which distinction, was translated as 'she'


Korea Working Women's Network 1997
Posted by KWWA
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