The Theory of Evolution As I Know It

My older nephew tells my younger nephew that there's no such thing as heaven or hell.

He says when a person dies, it's just over.

When I say people become stars when they die,

he chuckles.

"Then what happens when a star dies?" he asks.

When a star dies, it becomes a leaf.

The leaf basks in the light, green,

then glitters yellow or red,

and falls to the earth. And when it falls to the earth,

When it falls?

Is that the end?

It goes into the bellies of insects,

becoming the insect within the insect's belly.

Insects then become butterflies or birds,

and butterflies or birds become flowers or clouds.

Flowers and clouds become rain or wind again,

and rain or wind goes back to the sea to become fish.

So? What's the conclusion?

Does that mean Dad became a star too?

Yes, as long as you're alive,

you become a star made entirely of eyes to see you,

and I'm still watching you now.

I see stars floating in my nephew's eyes as he laughs, not believing me.

◆ Poet Hwang Yong-soon

He was diagnosed shortly after birth, told he wouldn't live long. His birth was officially registered at the age of five. In middle school, he was given a terminal prognosis of three years to live at Seoul National University Hospital. He dropped out of high school upon admission and wandered the world, eventually becoming a poet and an entrepreneur. He currently serves as an executive at a mid-sized company while continuing to write poetry. His poetry collections include 'Prelude to Annihilation' (1993) and 'Ugly Flower' (2022).