Dead Quiet from Sheboygan by Bury Trail

Always hard to hear Kong,
With his raspy whisper,
In his girls’ loud cafe,
Always called me mister

And I reciprocated earnestly,
Addressing “Mister Kang,”
Pronouncing his last name
Like a rank Ameri-Kang

While the prior conquerors
Of North Goryeo, if you please,
Had changed Kong’s name —
And the country’s — to Japanese

Those invaders, cruel,
Commies worse, said he,
Confiding the story
Of the dogs... of Yul-li…

When Reds took charge,
They demanded, full time,
That citizens of Yul-li
Stick to strict party line

Everyone an informer,
Ears to windows and doors,
Only way to get ahead,
Save your ass and so much more

But inside each hanok,
Family dog would bark or growl,
Made it hard to eavesdrop,
For snitches on the prowl

One day with all the people
Working their collective fields,
Party men slit all the throats…
Of all the dogs, of Yul-li town...

Life went dark, said Kong, at Yul-li,
No barking dog, no family chat,
Just dread, hopelessness and Jesus,
Dead quiet after that

Dead quiet after that.

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