Fiery tongues lick the sky, cackling and crackling,
In a forest of burning towers, only they – the daenamu – stand.
Each fibre stretches toward air, weaving a lattice of strength.
/ganghan/ strong.
From afar, they may seem like hollow, jaded shells,
Organized in rows like soldiers in still formation.
But what seems empty is a vessel of possibility,
A place where knowledge and compassion take root.
/jihye/ wisdom.
A spine of steel, they rise with the smoky dawn,
Bending under the crushing weight of the world –
But never breaking.
This is the dance of life: a balance between chaos and form,
They find their rhythm in the storm.
/danhohan/ resolved.
Resilience is the living metaphor:
A vessel brimming with infinite potential,
Ever-reaching toward the light,
An unbending guardian of hope in the eye of the storm.
We are more than just a whisper of shoots swaying passively in the wind.
We sing songs of fellowship,
Guided by the rhythms of chaos and order,
We are /daenamu/ bamboo
Ye-Jean Park is a Korean-Canadian student based in Calgary who considers herself a lifelong lover of learning in the sciences, arts, and everything in between. Inspired by the power of literature, she aims to create works that provide diverse perspectives on the unique experience and journey of being human.