교수님께 드리는 편지. / Letters to professor by 정유진

교수님께 드리는 편지

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

7:37 PM

일상에서도 꿈꾸는 침대에서도

난 가끔 생가하게 되는 분이 있다.

 

 

어느 가을날 햇볕이 따뜻하게 들고 낙엽이 바삭바삭 정겹게 날리며 밟히는 날에

난 어느 나이 있으신 여인분을 보게 되었다.

벤치에 앉아 한껏 꿈에 젖은 모양새였다.

 

난 햇볕이 드는 나무 아래 나무에 기대어 서서

그 분을 응시하게 되었다.

 

 

그 분은 내가 쳐다보는 것을 아시는지 모르시는지 아랑곳하지 않고서

자신의 꿈 속에서 마냥 행복해하셨다.

그리고는 시 한 구절을 읊으시는 것을 나는 들었다.

그 시는 세익스피어의 햄릿에서 나오는 대사.

To be or not to be, that is the question !

 

그리고 거침 없이 그 명대사를 정확하게 읊어내리셨다.

그리고 연극 품새를 곁들어 외워보시고는

날 본다.

 

난 놀라서 고개를 숙이다 이내 고개를 들고 인사를 꾸벅한다.

 

햄릿 알어?

그 분이 묻는다.

 

네. 정말 거침없이 외우시는데요? 난 말한다.

 

 

내가 이래뵈도 세익스피어를 20여년간 강의한 사람이야. 하며 웃으신다.

 

 

그 다음주 강의를 들으러 수업시간에 들어갔을 때

난 이 분을 강단에서 마주하게 되었다.

 

 

Chapter 1 Letters to Professor

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

7:25 PM

It's a story that lingers.

It's a story that my heart wrote.

It's a story that brought me madness.

 

And it's a story that I healed with.

 

 

 

 

It was a summery airy fall.

The sun was warm but not blinding and the air was cool and dry.

It was the smell of crisp falling leaves that falls from the sky and the sound of crisp leaves afoot that just about indulges you into the world of autumn.

Gold specked bugs were crawling about glinting.

And the persimmons glossy and orange were peeping out from under the leaves.

 

And I saw an elderly lady sitting on a bench nearby.

It was clear her head was in the clouds.

She looked small but robust yet somewhat frail at the same time.

 

I stood leaned upon the trunk of a tree where sunlight shone through and watched her.

 

She proceeded with her reverie uncaring whether I was looking on at her.

Maybe she just didn't know.

 

She was reciting all of a sudden.

A line I recognized.

A line from the famous Shakespearean play Hamlet.

Then she recited the whole soliloquy.

To be or not to be that is the question.

 

Then she put in movements.

It was a captivating moment.

 

Suddenly she turns to me and asks, do you know hamlet?

 

I in a sudden motion turn away for a moment then I turn back.

The soliloquy, madam. It was perfect !

 

Well, I have been lecturing Hamlet at college for more than 20 years. Wouldn't you think?

She smiled.

 

 

 

And it was that very week after,

In my college class I faced her on the podium in my seat.