Love Letter to Bai Mundan

 
Beloved Goddess, 

How I remember the elegant beauty and sensual nature of your Mother. She revealed only the most honorable intentions. How pure and white was her skin, and how gentle her speech and manner. She exuded romance of a time long ago, and exquisitely expressed the essence of the divine feminine. Delicate but emotionally strong, graceful and cultured, her teachings of the womanly art of love remain with me still. After all these years, I have never forgotten her. So esteemed is she in my memory.

I came across this postcard you sent of yourself two years ago. I couldn't find it for the longest time, and there it was, hiding in-between the pages of a book I never finished! The White Book by Han Kang. Did you ever read it? 

Ooh how I miss you! It's raining, and I'm curled up in this big overstuffed chintz chair reminiscing about my visit with you last spring... Can you believe it's been a year ago? Remember how we dressed in those long, elegant, flowing vermillion red dresses? How feminine and sensual we felt?!! Our strolls in the gardens... early mornings spent gathering peonies! Ooh! How they filled your home with the most beautiful, intoxicating scent! Their gorgeous fragrance lingered for days on our clothing, hair and skin. Remember the late hours we kept? I loved sharing romantic musings, sipping tea, smoking sweet, floral mugwort (We called it Artemisia princeps; we are so sophisticated! And, we had such lucid dreams that week! Remember?). Reciting poetry with you was so evocative and erotic... What a beautiful time we shared. 

I'm so excited about your visit here, next month. The peonies will be in full bloom. I know you love the white ones that bloom wildly in Korea, but I can't wait to show you the pink and magenta ones that grow in my garden! 

Yes, I am still waiting for my true love. Early this morning, I picked the first white flower I came upon and slowly plucked each of its precious petals, and quietly asked in the depths of my heart, from across the oceans of time and space for you to please help me in this sacred task. I kept the last petal as a love charm and will release it to the air and earth, too, when my soulful wish comes true.

Thank you.

-Yours devotedly