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Illustration by Na Wang
the promise of a
new year is in a
bowl of ddukguk,
for every strand of
flesh reveals the
body that wastes
away, every bite
of dduk the coins
fade as the sun
sets, every crunch
of kimchi that sour
moments are to be
relished, every sip
of broth a reminder
we need not dream
of meat and rice. of
course, that’s not
what we were taught
to believe, in the
languid glow of the
midday sun, but
we could hold to
the assurance of
many bowls to come.
Jonathan Chan is an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge reading English. Born to a Malaysian father and Korean mother in the United States, Jonathan was raised in Singapore and sees his cultural tapestry manifest in his writing.