The Value Found in Everyday Life... Inner Transformation Through Happiness

Poet Jeonnamju's "My Name is Haengbok"

Jeonnamju, poet. Courtesy of the reader

"Rather than chasing after luck, I wanted to listen to the whispers of the trampled three-leaf clover."

The reason why poet Jeonnamju wrote her third poetry collection, "My Name is Haengbok," was to elevate the small moments of daily life into poetic contemplation. One of the features of this new book is that it encourages readers to revisit the overlooked places of happiness in everyday life.

Currently, Jeonnamju is a teacher at a middle school in Gwangju. Whenever she has time, she takes walks in the clover field behind the school playground, searching for four-leaf clovers. Through this process, she says she came to reflect on the essence of life. While people focus only on the four-leaf clover, it is actually the three-leaf clover that spends more time by our side.

"Three leaves mean happiness, four leaves mean luck. We are so busy searching for the four-leaf clover that we miss the happiness of the three leaves that is always beside us. I wanted to hear the whispers of those common blades of grass."

My name is Haengbok Cover.

In this way, the poetry collection captures a poetic perspective that values ordinary "happiness" over dazzling "luck." Composed of five sections, it is not a simple listing of poems but a structurally coherent narrative that follows the texture of life.

Part 1, "My Name is Haengbok," contains the innocence of childhood and the importance of everyday life. Part 2, "While Hesitating," unfolds the amplitude and space of emotions through its adverbial title. Part 3, "Wind and Rain," deals with wounds and healing, while Part 4, "People Like Water Scales," expresses the warmth of relationships. Finally, Part 5, "Scenes in the Mirror," concludes with self-reflection and questions of existence.

The title poem, "My Name is Haengbok," uses the phrase "Luck is precious! Happiness is precious!" to remind us that the fulfillment found in repeated daily life is more essential than rare opportunities. Jeonnamju emphasized, "Happiness is not a distant destination, but something already by our side that we simply have yet to discover."

"I, too, want to be remembered for my fragrance. Like a bonfire that warms those around me. A person in whose footsteps flowers bloom."

The poetic language, which weaves together the tremors and pauses of life, the warmth of relationships, and the dignity of existence, invites readers on a poetic journey to rediscover the "three-leaf happiness" often overlooked in the past.

Jeonnamju was born in Yeongam, Jeonnam, and grew up gazing at Mount Wolchul. She graduated from Chosun University with a degree in Korean Language and Literature, earned a master's degree in education, and completed her doctoral coursework in Korean Language Education at Chonnam National University. Since her literary debut with the "Literature and Art" New Writer's Award in 2003, she has published poetry collections such as "Longing is Like Neuralgia" (2017) and "Excitement is Love" (2019). She currently teaches at Chosun University Middle School and is active in the Gwangju Writers' Association.

She said, "I hope this poetry collection remains a small warmth and resonance for readers," adding, "I hope people will reflect on the 'precious light' contained in each easily forgotten day. Happiness begins with inner change."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.