At this point, I have over two thousand poems. You can see nearly a thousand of them in All or Nothing. Most of the new poems are on my Instagram [Cat’s Instagram].
This particular poem can be found in Uplifted, a poem book that’s meant to bring hope to everyone. Let me know if I’m successful (ie review please). [Uplifted] [All or Nothing]
Sunbae (선배)
When they looked to me,
I knew it would be special.
It was not the life I expected;
I wouldn’t change it for the world.
People have a bad habit
looking down on me,
treating me as if I’m less than
as if I never would succeed.
I would have believed them
without the support of my hoobae.
This life wouldn’t exist if they didn’t.
I never felt drawn in
until they held my hand.
How can you call me beautiful
while seeing them?
Let me give you a hint…
This life is only worth it
because of who is here.
You noticed the ending
where all I saw was growth.
We are in it together.
Standing tall and strong together.
I wasn’t the best as leader
No one looked to me for that.
Whether you thought I was playing
didn’t change any facts.
My age gave me permit
– I saw more of the world –
but really it comes down to
my life wouldn’t exist without you here.
This life wouldn’t be the same
if you weren’t within it.
You helped me when I struggled.
You made it known I was alive.
That loneliness wasn’t possible
as long as I had my band at my side.
You make me feel alive.
I never felt drawn in
until they held my hand.
How can you call me beautiful
while seeing them?
Let me give you a hint…
You are beautiful
even moreso because of them.
They are my perfect partners;
my allies against the attacks.
Media will never understand
the importance of my life
as I stand as the sunbae to them.
Those lucky guys I lean on
give me newfound hope.
Sure we’ve made a few mistakes;
who hasn’t in this world?
I will never question them.
This life only exists because
I have my band beside me.
This life is only worth it
because of who is here.
You noticed the ending
where all I saw was growth.
We are in it together.
Standing tall and strong together.
We stand together.
We face against the dawn.
We ride the waves together.
We will stand tall and firm.
Nothing is impossible,
because you have me as a sunbae
That should be enough.
선배 is a term not exactly used in English. The closest it comes to is Senior. But outside of like high school, no one uses it. Sunbae would refer to the person older or more experienced you lean on in a new environment. It’s a term of respect. Hoobae (후배) is the opposite meaning junior. Think of it in terms of a freshman looking up to the senior who is giving them help and attention.
If you are used to the Hallyu wave, these wouldn’t be strange words.
This specific poem was created for Jisoo and Top to sing about their bandmates. It’s a duet. Perhaps you can see the song I tried to create within the poem.
You can buy All or Nothing and Uplifted on Amazon. They are Kindle Unlimited. The ebook and paperback are available to buy.
[All or Nothing page] [All or Nothing US Amazon]
[Uplifted page] [Uplifted US Amazon]
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Cat Hartliebe 