"어느 따뜻한 날."  
            차신재

창으로 들어 온 햇살이 
거실바닥에 흥건한 한 낮
병든 시아버지 발을 씻긴다

겹겹이 쌓였던  각질이
따끈한 물속에서 풀어지듯
멀어졌던 기억이 줄줄이 밀려 나온다

제가 누구예요?
    내 며느리
아버님 똑똑하시네요
    더 똑똑해 볼까?

    이쁘고 똑똑한 내 큰며느리, 하하하
와! 우리 아버님 정말 똑똑하시네요

치매증세를 넘나드는 중에도
오늘은 유난히 맑은 정신으로 
5년만에 만난 며느리와
농담을 주고 받는 시아버님
이 순간이 고마워 목이 메인다

유순한 눈길로
며느리의 손길을 지켜보는 시아버지와
죄스럽고 안스러운 마음으로
여윈 발등을 닦고 있는 며느리
바라보는 아들의 눈길이 따스하다

덕지덕지 쌓였던 각질이
따뜻한 물속에서 풀어지듯
그리움에 찌든 가슴이 
햇살 속에서 풀어지는
어느 따스한 겨울날이다  

"One Warm Day"

                     Cha SinJae

The day when sunbeams came through the window
Soaking the entire living room floor
I was washing my sick Father in law's feet.

Just as those long stayed callus
Got macerated in warm water peeling off layer after layer,
Estranged memories were also peeled off one by one.

Who am I?
   My daughter in law
Papa, very sharp.
   Shall I be sharper?
   My pretty bright eldest daughter in law, ha ha ha.
Wow! My Papa is indeed very sharp.

Even amid dementia on and off.
Today in his exceptionally bright mind
With a daughter in law, he has not seen for five years
He could even joke
So grateful for the time together, I got a lump in my throat.

With soft and amorous eyes
Father in law watched helping hands of daughter in law
With her heart feeling undeserving and sorry
The daughter-in-law wiped the top of his lean feet.
Warm was the glances from his son.

Just as the thickly stacked up dead skin cells
Got dissolved into warm water,
The heart, worn out by yearnings
Got also dissolved by warm sunbeams
On one sunny winter day.