What do you want to be in the next life?

Here's a provocative poem by one of Korea's leading poets of the 20th century. Do you like it? What do you want to be in the next life? Fancy being a rock?

ROCK by Chi-Hwan Yu

When I die,
I will become a rock,

never touched

by compassion, joy or anger.

While being torn down by wind and rain,

It will only whip itself inwards

in eternal, impersonal silence,

and at last forget its own existence;

Floating clouds, distant thunder!

Though it may dream,
it will never sing.

Though broken in pieces,

it will never utter a word.

I will become such a rock.

from http://www.geocities.com/lesliebarclay/KoreanPoems.html

Right: Taken at Boriam, Namhae