She was born in a house that wanted a son. Her name was called, but the space stayed none. Her father counted coins; her mother counted the cost. The records remained, but the feeling was lost. She learned to smile, learned to fold. She learned to swallow what she was sold. She kept the room, she kept the pace — and quietly lost her own face. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice of another woman. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she disappeared. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she disappeared. At school she learned to sit still and small. Too pretty was trouble, too smart was a flaw. "Because you're a girl" explained every rule. She laughed at the things that were never cool. She learned to smile, learned to fold. She learned to swallow what she was sold. She kept the room, she kept the pace — and quietly lost her own face. At work, the title came before her name. After the child, the system erased her claim. A position that left only numbers behind. A voice that grew lower, a face that was kind. One more silence, one more stare. One more breath of borrowed air. She heard her own voice disappear — in the middle of nowhere. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice of another woman. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she disappeared. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she disappeared. She became a mother in a windowless room. One day she spoke in a voice of another woman’s womb. Her family did not know, she could not explain — she had pushed herself back, again and again. Say it plain, say it slow. What gets named can start to show. She was not a problem — she was a habit they chose to ignore. A door that was always left slightly ajar, never a door. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice of another woman. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she disappeared. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she became the voice. Truly, flawlessly, completely — she is still speaking. She is still here. Kim Jiyoung was born in 1982. She is still speaking. She is still here.
