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Fighting cancer for 15 yrs, sister-poet consoles ill people via ‘Sunshine Diary’
By Chung Joo-won
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- Sister Lee Hae In (Sr. M. Claudia), a renowned nun, educator and poet, hardly has a moment to spare these days. Last month, she broke her 8-year hiatus with a new poetry collection, “The Sunshine Diary of Lee Hae In.”
The 78-year-old poet wrote in an e-mail interview with Yonhap on Tuesday, she has been receiving numerous writing requests this fall that made her feel like a “student laden with homework.” Despite some 15 years of combating cancer, her responses exuded tranquility and ease.
“In every moment of life, I want to live anew, happily, and gratefully. As a pilgrim with little time left in this world, I would like to conclude my life with good will and beauty,” she said.
Lee joined the South Korean literary canon with her first poetry collection “Dandelion Territory,” published in 1976. The prolific nun’s poems and essays have earned her the nicknames of "healer poet" and "consoler poet."
Her latest poetical work, Sunshine Diary, reflects her ongoing battle against cancer. She dedicated the book to “those in pain who need a little comfort,” indicating her desire to console the afflicted through her poetry.
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| ▲ Sister Lee Hae In (Sr. M. Claudia), a renowned nun, educator and poet, attends a book signing event for her newly published poetry collection "Sunshine Diary by Lee Hae In" on Oct. 22, 2023, in these photos provided by Yolimwon Publishing Group. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
She said there were many who suffer physically and emotionally, even within her nunnery community. She wanted her words to resonate with them first of all, she added.
During her hospitalization for surgery and cancer treatments, she witnessed the thoughts and prayers of those around her. Such encounters gave birth to "Patient's Prayer," "Caregiver's Prayer," and "Doctor's Prayer" in her new book. When she asked these individuals to recite her poems during lectures at the hospital, she observed them doing so with a solemn and sometimes tearful demeanor, she said.
Besides painful moments -- "indescribable moments of death" -- the poems bring light to grateful things -- "a glass of sikhye (rice punch) and a world map, finding a matching lid for the glass bottle” -- in her everyday life.
Regarding the usage of sunlight as a key motif in the new works, she said, "I used to write many poems about the moon and moonlight, but ever since I became ill, I found myself pondering more on the sun and the sunshine.”
Her well-lit workspace in the nunnery also contributed to this shift, she recalled. On particularly cold days, she was inspired by the warmth of a single ray of sunlight. Then, she would transform her short scribbles into full-fledged poems, pondering the essence of life.
The changes in her aging body also brought about a unique perspective on life, making it feel "new and interesting," Lee said. In Sunshine Diary, her favorite piece, “The Seasons of My Body,” inspired her to proclaim, "Just like the mind has four seasons, the body also comes with four seasons.”
Outside the book, Lee said she vented pressure from her life as a religious guide by practicing “Pyeong sang sim si do,” a Buddhist phrase meaning “an ordinary state of mind as the Way.” The word helps her keep a gentle heart at all moments, even in the face of difficulties.
She said, “Today is the first day of the rest of their lives and to embrace it as a gift… Please do enjoy yourself some good music and books. Let yourself spread some comfort, like a ray of sunshine, to someone.”
On Dec. 16, Lee will be attending her last book signing event for Sunshine Diary of this year at Kyobo Book Center’s Busan branch.
jwc@yna.co.kr
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| ▲ These photos, provided by Yolimwon Publishing Group on Nov. 7, 2023, shows Sister Lee Hae In (Sr. M. Claudia), a renowned nun, educator and poet. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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