the exit lights along the aisle are blinking red.
red like the sunset over ocean outside, streaming
in through the window I don’t dare look out.
out, as the light leans in, the cabin is gold,
gold framing for one final sunlit bloodstained picture.
that bloodstained picture of the man beside me
praying for a golden miracle from the sky to save him.
cradled by the same jasmine sky that sent the plane
the plane on fire with the red light he begs for,
for the red light down the aisle is too late for belief.
belief that’ll splash when we hit sunlit water,
water as clear as glass, as clear as judgement,
judgement not from God but from the
fuselage that will tear like red wrapping paper,
paper thin like a white layer of cloud.
the clouds peel away.
away i go as i close my eyes, i see gold and
and see my red luggage spilling everywhere,
everywhere, red shirts tumble out like waves,
into the waves
i see the red engine and the red fuselage.
i see a red and gold get well soon card.
gold and red sparks fly like fireworks.
fireworks
in that turbine, fireworks in this cabin,
this picture of this cabin, framed in this gold
and bleeding red, gold and red and golden
sunlit blood.
chinese new year / the room smells faintly of antiseptic and jasmine tea / i see the reflection of fireworks on faux gold foil / i dare not look out / the sky burns with fire and light
red envelopes spread across my bedside table / the nurse hands me a card
red / gold / bedridden / folded / get well soon
i hear voices in the hall talk about / luck / family / spring
celebrations i hear but cannot join / outside the window / a world i see but cannot join / so i dare not look out
the red and gold do not bleed but bloom / a golden miracle waiting for a red dawn
Mini-interview with Min Woo Chong
HFR: Can you share a moment that has shaped you as a writer (or continues to)?
MWC: After I looked back during my first month of writing poetry, I realized something like, “Wait, if I keep going like this, I could get really good!” It’s been a bumpy ride but I’ve kept going.
HFR: What are you reading?
MWC: For fun? I just read Armada by Ernest Cline.
HFR: Can you tell us what prompted “I dare not look out”?
MWC: Jeju Air Flight 2216. I heard about it, then learned that we would be flying on Jeju Air not too soon after. Freaked me out.
HFR: What’s next? What are you working on?
MWC: Just tryna get back to writing something. Almost at my 200th poem so that’s something 🙂
HFR: Take the floor. Be political. Be fanatical. Be anything. What do you want to share?
MWC: All these teen poetry competitions HAVE to choose winners by spinning a wheel … (I have a skill issue).
Min Woo Chong is a teenage poet, who appreciates alliteration, strange metaphors, and getting enough sleep without next-day melatonin side effects. He lives in New York City. In his free time, he plays too much video games and binges on frozen blueberries.
Check out HFR’s book catalog, publicity list, submission manager, and buy merch from our Spring store. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube. Disclosure: HFR is an affiliate of Bookshop.org and we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Sales from Bookshop.org help support independent bookstores and small presses.
Heavy Feather Review 