I am very tired now, and oh so very old
My time on this earth is nearly over, nearly done
But before I go I must tell you, tell someone
Of my feelings of never ending, everlasting shame
Every day I still I wash and wash myself,
To try to once again feel inside and outside clean
But even now, after all these long years
All I ever wash away are my own tears
Those who did these things to me I must now name
For the things they did to me they alone must take the blame
I was only seventeen, a pretty young and innocent girl
Full of the naïve dreams of love hopes for my future
When the Japanese soldiers came to my village that day
By the time they left they had taken all of that away
The boy I loved who tried to protect me, was shot at my side
I cradled his dying body in my arms and cried
Before soldiers grabbed me, pulled me away
Took me away, with all the other young women they could find
To be nothing more to them than toys, now just slaves
Mentally and physically abused in every possible way
Day after day, no matter how hard I would pray
Comfort women that was what they called us
Our new name, no longer even human
Like beasts moved from place to place, to anywhere
Handed out like toys to soldiers, men and boys
No longer a name, no dignity, just now an object
I became so numb, I no longer even began to care
Comfort women, that was now our only name
But from me to them, only cold comfort ever came
All of them just so many faces, all of them just the same
All of them to blame for my never ending shame
That for over 70 years now has caused me so much pain
Over the years, they took everything I ever had
My honour, my name, my dignity, my body, my spirit
But I vowed, they would never take my life
No matter how often I was starved or beaten
I would survive, somehow walk away one day free
But when the war finally ended, where could I now go
I bore no blame myself, but now I had no name
What man to me now could ever be true
If he ever found out the things I was forced to do
Family, friends would find a way to say I was to blame
For not taking my own life, protecting my family name
ABOVE LAST LINE SPOKEN IN DESPAIR
So it was better that everyone though that I had not survived
My family could now still protect their precious name
But every day and every night I still relive everything in my head
I became a daytime ghost, one of the many walking dead
Living my lonely life out, never speaking to anyone about these things
But now, before I must go I must tell you me name
It is Soon-Ja and I have not spoken this name for many years
I speak not just for myself but for all the other women I knew
I must tell my story, their story, name those to blame
Before I atone to the gods for any of my sins, they must know
I forgive none of them for what they did to me, did to us
And hope the Gods dam their spirits are dammed for all eternity
ABOVE LAST LINE SPOKEN IN THE END IN ANGER
"Cold Comfort" Copyright © Tom King 2022
My time on this earth is nearly over, nearly done
But before I go I must tell you, tell someone
Of my feelings of never ending, everlasting shame
Every day I still I wash and wash myself,
To try to once again feel inside and outside clean
But even now, after all these long years
All I ever wash away are my own tears
Those who did these things to me I must now name
For the things they did to me they alone must take the blame
I was only seventeen, a pretty young and innocent girl
Full of the naïve dreams of love hopes for my future
When the Japanese soldiers came to my village that day
By the time they left they had taken all of that away
The boy I loved who tried to protect me, was shot at my side
I cradled his dying body in my arms and cried
Before soldiers grabbed me, pulled me away
Took me away, with all the other young women they could find
To be nothing more to them than toys, now just slaves
Mentally and physically abused in every possible way
Day after day, no matter how hard I would pray
Comfort women that was what they called us
Our new name, no longer even human
Like beasts moved from place to place, to anywhere
Handed out like toys to soldiers, men and boys
No longer a name, no dignity, just now an object
I became so numb, I no longer even began to care
Comfort women, that was now our only name
But from me to them, only cold comfort ever came
All of them just so many faces, all of them just the same
All of them to blame for my never ending shame
That for over 70 years now has caused me so much pain
Over the years, they took everything I ever had
My honour, my name, my dignity, my body, my spirit
But I vowed, they would never take my life
No matter how often I was starved or beaten
I would survive, somehow walk away one day free
But when the war finally ended, where could I now go
I bore no blame myself, but now I had no name
What man to me now could ever be true
If he ever found out the things I was forced to do
Family, friends would find a way to say I was to blame
For not taking my own life, protecting my family name
ABOVE LAST LINE SPOKEN IN DESPAIR
So it was better that everyone though that I had not survived
My family could now still protect their precious name
But every day and every night I still relive everything in my head
I became a daytime ghost, one of the many walking dead
Living my lonely life out, never speaking to anyone about these things
But now, before I must go I must tell you me name
It is Soon-Ja and I have not spoken this name for many years
I speak not just for myself but for all the other women I knew
I must tell my story, their story, name those to blame
Before I atone to the gods for any of my sins, they must know
I forgive none of them for what they did to me, did to us
And hope the Gods dam their spirits are dammed for all eternity
ABOVE LAST LINE SPOKEN IN THE END IN ANGER
"Cold Comfort" Copyright © Tom King 2022
NOTE
On 12th August 2017 South Korea put on the internet the first archive footage of Japanese soldiers inspecting comfort women during WW2 Something about the haunting looks on the faces of these women who had now lost everything - even their liberty and dignity - would just not go away in my mind.
This is maybe one of their stories, an old lady now, close to death who survived and must now tell someone about her ordeals. According to the internet Soon-Ja was one of the most popular girls names in South Korea in 1948
Although this story is about a specific time and event, the theme however is sadly universal throughout recorded history and up until events happening now. In times of conflict and war, women are often amongst the first casualties to suffer abuse at the hands of occupying forces.
On 12th August 2017 South Korea put on the internet the first archive footage of Japanese soldiers inspecting comfort women during WW2 Something about the haunting looks on the faces of these women who had now lost everything - even their liberty and dignity - would just not go away in my mind.
This is maybe one of their stories, an old lady now, close to death who survived and must now tell someone about her ordeals. According to the internet Soon-Ja was one of the most popular girls names in South Korea in 1948
Although this story is about a specific time and event, the theme however is sadly universal throughout recorded history and up until events happening now. In times of conflict and war, women are often amongst the first casualties to suffer abuse at the hands of occupying forces.