June 3, 2019Three SijoJamey Temple

“I was a writer before I became a mother, but my work’s focus shifted after the adoptions of our oldest son and daughter who arrived home in 2008 and 2010 respectively. They both had a story before coming home to my husband and me; I felt haunted by their first families and embarrassed by my privilege that made our family possible. I began researching adoption and Korean culture to help us and our children understand their stories. At first, I tried to write our experiences as fictional short stories, but I was never satisfied. I turned to poetry, writing through my point of view. Still, I felt there was more I could do as a ‘witness’ to adoption. My breakthrough came when I wrote my first persona poem through the birthmother’s point of view. From there, I wrote more persona poems and studied Korean poetry, finding the sijo, which is a three-line form that predates the haiku, and this form became one channel for the persona poetry. No matter the form chosen, or whether I write through a persona or not, what strikes me is the strength of women and the importance of knowing one’s story.”