귀향
                                                              박찬정

                     사흘이면 돌아가려니
                     늦어도 한 달이면 돌아오마
                     고향집 삽짝 앞
                     눈인사
                     하는 둥 마는 둥
                     고샅길 돌아 나왔다.

                     이리될 줄 뉘 알았던고
                     철조망 사이 두고
                     고향 그리길
                     강산 일곱 번 바뀐 세월

                     봄이 오면 가게 될까
                     해 바뀌면 가게 될까
                     기다리다
                     기다리다

                     살아서 가지 못한
                     고향 뒷동산
                     아바이 간절한 소원
                     철조망 너머로 뼛가루를 날린다.

                     바람 타고
                     그리운 고향으로 가소
                     구름에 실려
                     오마니 산소 곁으로 가소
                     목청껏 외치며 날려 보지만
                     철조망 아래
                     풀포기만 하얗다.
 

                               묵정논

                     중발떼기 할배
                     세상 뜨기 전
                     논두렁 풀 자랄 새 없었건만
                     논 임자 발자국
                     소리 멎은 지 이태
                     잡초 무성히 자란 묵정논
                     지난 밤 고라니 자고 간 자리
                     마른 풀 동그마니 누워있다.

                     젊은 쥔 논 묵힌단 말
                     어데서 들었는고
                     꿩 고라니 산비둘기
                     제 형편껏 터 잡아
                     알 낳고 새끼 보듬어 키우는
                     그 나름 묵정논의 평화
                     겨울 나고 떠나면 좋으련만
                     정 붙여 눌러살면
                     이웃 밭
                     우리 농사는 우짜꼬.

   *중발떼기는 중간치 사발을 일컫는 거제지방 말 몸집이 작아 붙여진 별명

                             뻐꾸기 창
                            
                      다락방 남쪽으로 난
                      뻐꾸기 창
                      두 뼘 될까 말까 작은 창으로
                      볕 들고 바람 드나드니
                      그만 만 해도
                      제 할 몫 한 것인데

                      창문 너머
                      앞마당 우체통과
                      개울 건너 무논에 선 백로와
                      와현고개 내려오는 버스,
                      선창 보재기집
                      원근법 살리고
                      사진틀에 끼워 보여준다

                      욕심을 부려
                      고개를 빼고 까치발를 해도
                      보이지 않는 뒤란
                      남쪽으로 난
                      작은 뻐꾸기 창이 내게 가르쳐준다
                      환갑 진갑 넘은 나이
                      뒤돌아보지 말고
                      앞이나 잘 보고 살라고.

                  *보재기 : 해녀를 일컫는 경남지방 방언
 

                            이웃집 목련
                             
                       눈 부신 봄 햇살
                       어스름 달빛에도
                       순백 꽃잎
                       나갈 때 눈길 한번
                       오는 길에 다시 한번

                       그리움에 젖은 시선
                       북으로 향하고
                       고고한 듯 새초롬한 그 자태
                       들며 나며 담 너머
                       눈호사 할 때는 좋았는데

                       꽃샘바람은
                       하필이면 우리집으로 꽃잎을 떨구고
                       늦가을 가랑잎은
                       왜 죄다 우리집으로 날아오는지
                       순백 빛깔 잃은 꽃잎
                       버석이는 가랑잎 쓸며
                       외상진 꽃구경 값 갚는다.
 

                                환승역
                                                   
                       서면역
                       막차 떠날 시간도 아닌데
                       갈아타려는 사람들 잰 발걸음
                       나도 무리에 끼어
                       2호선 갈아타고
                       요양병원
                       구순 넘은 엄마한테 간다
                       선생님 고맙십니더.
                       아지매는 얼라가 몇이요?
                       선생님도 아지매도 아니고
                       딸이라고 아무리 일깨워도
                       엄마의 동문서답은 종잡을 수 없다.

                       누가, 대체 어느 놈이
                       엄마의 머릿속에 숨어들어가
                       뒤죽박죽 헝클어놓는 장난을 칠까.
                       강산 아홉 번 바뀐 기억 고사하고
                       한평생 엮은 혈육 얼개마저
                       풀어버린지 오래.
                       이승역에서 저승행으로
                       갈아타지 못하는 엄마는
                       여서 해째
                       환승역에서 헤매고 있다.

                    문장 21 시 등단 소감

                                                    박    찬   정

 몇 해 전 키위 넝쿨 묘목 두 그루를 받았습니다. 빈약한 가장귀에 불과하여 별 기대 없이 연못가에 심어 놓았지요. 뿌리를 내리고 새순이 났습니다. 가지 끝 넝쿨손이 잡고 의지할 것이 필요해 보여 파이프로 아치를 만들어 주었습니다. 다행히 두 그루는 암수라서 해마다 열매를 맺습니다. 어느 해는 서너 바케스, 또 어떤 해는 겨우 한 바케스. 사람이나 키위넝쿨이나 해마다 진을 다 빼어 결실을 맺을 수는 없겠지요. 어제 키위를 한 바케스 남짓하게 땄습니다.

 올해는 많이 위축되어 있었습니다. 저도 남들과 다 같은 핑계 코로나19를 들먹입니다. 그래도 한해 저물 무렵 시인의 문턱을 넘은 것이 저에게는 큰 결실입니다. 눌산 선생님 지도 아래 되는 소린지, 안 되는 소린지 부끄럼 무릅쓰고 습작한 결과로 여기렵니다. 우리 <눌산과 더불어 시를 짓다> 밴드에서 저의 습작시를 읽어 주시고 용기를 준 문우들의 고마움도 잊을 수 없습니다

제가 서두에 키위 딴 자랑를 해서 죄송합니다. 키위는 수확하여 바로 먹기에는 맛이 없지요. 후숙과일이라고 합니다. 따 놓고 시간이 흐르면서 말랑해지며 새콤 달콤한 키위의 맛을 냅니다. 등단이라는 문턱을 넘었다고 바로 감동과 멋이 깃든 시를 쓰지는 못 하겠지요. 세월에 곰삭으며 무던히 시작(詩作)을 하다 보면 언젠가 큰 울림을 주는 시를 쓰게 될 거라고 제 자신을 부추깁니다. 후숙 과일 키위처럼 말입니다

이제 문턱을 넘어 다시 출발선에 선 마음으로 정진하겠습니다.미욱한 저를 추천해 주신 눌산 스승님 감사합니다. 계간 문장21의 무궁한 발전을 기원합니다.

프로필

서울 출생/계간 수필, 수필과 비평 수필 등단/계수회, 계룡수필문학회 동인/눌산 윤일광 문예창작교실 수료