Opening Remarks│Moon Jae-in, 19th President, Bookstore Manager_4
Editor's Note 1│Ryu Ki-in, Chief Judge, Juvenile Division, Changwon District Court_7
Editor's Note 2│Park Seong-woo, Poet_11
Center Staff Comments│Yoo Sang-jun, Shalom Youth Recovery Center Director_18

Part 1: It Was a Bad Day

Stay Still│Yoon Hye-jeong_29
What is Poetry?│Kang Seong-min_30
Father│Yang Jun-seong_32
Psychology│Sim Min-chan_33
Consignment│Cheon Hyeon-seo_34
Court│Park Seung-yeon_35
Fanaticism│Heeyo_36
Responsibility│Hwang Seong-bin_37
To You Who Became a Star in the Sky│Lee Jae-heon_38
Trial│Jo Seung-min_39
Eyebrows│Song Aram_40
The Center Director's Heart│Jiyong Yoon_41
Ice│Shin Yul_42
Couple Fighting│Kwon Hae-chan_44
Rebellion│Sim Min-chan_45
Cigarettes│Gong Woo-hyun_47
Exercise│Choi Jae-hyuk_48
Going Out│Lee Ye-jun_49
Prison sentence│Woo Hye-kyung_50
Ital│Minji_52
New Light Enlistment│Kang Jun_53

Part 2 You can fly in the sky

Cat│Jang Joo-won_57
Puppy│Lee Do-hoon_58
Become a Flower│Kwon Hae-chan_59
Star│Seo Ji-seung_60
Taeyang│Lee Geon-woo_62
Diet│Minji_63
Student│Kim Min-chan_64
Juvenile Detention Center│Hong Chan-wook_65
Heart│Jeon Jun-young_67
Same Day│Kim Du-won_68
Life│Yoon Ji-oh_69
Wish│Kim Do-yoon_70
Human Relationships│Yoon Ji-oh_71
I like school│Yoon Ji-yong_72
Overnight Stay│Kwon Hae-chan_73
Tattoo│Kim Min-seok_74
Regret│Shin Yul_75
That Day│Shin Yul_76
Farewell│Lee Hwan-hee_77
Watch│Jang Won-woo_78
Regret│Lee Tae-hwan_79
Dream│Jang Ju-won_80
Camp│Lee Artium_81
Walk│Lee Artium_82
Elevator│Kim Se-young_83
Spring│Kim Dong-hyun_84
Mom and Dad│Jeong Ji-won_85
I Want to Go Out│Kim Se-eun_86
Vines in the Head│Yura_87
Home│Iarin_88

Part 3 Two Twinkling Stars

My Life│Jia_91
Three Meals a Day│Lee Hyun-jun_92
Annoying│Song Mu-kyung_93
My Past Self Who Ran Away│Jeong Ji-hwan_94
School│Jeong Min-woo_95
I guess this is puberty│Kim Soo-hyun_96
School│Kwon Hae-chan_97
Like White│Yoon Hye-jeong_98
Star│Kim Ji-hoon_99
Shower│Park Jin-woo_100
Bad Daughter│Yoon Da-eun_101
The Ministry of Justice tells us│Park Hyun-min_104
Soccer Ball│Lee Ji-won_105
Shuttle│Kim So-hee_106
If you do│Hong Chan-wook_109
If you open it│Hong Chan-wook_109
Watch│Joo Jung-woo_110
Necklace│Im Ji-seong_111
Blue Sea│Yoon Ji-min_112
Rainbow│Kim Min-seung_114
I Hate Herbal Medicine│Lee Hwan-hee_115
Order│Yoon Ji-ho_116
Card│Jang Young-jun_117
Regret│Lee Su-young_118
Bad Daughter│Yang Min-young - 120
Sore Sore│Kim Do-hyun_122
Attachment Doll│Lee Jong-yul_123
Summer│Remaxim_124

Part 4 Let's all run together

Rain│Eodogun_127
Cat│Kang Seong-min_128
Exercise│Jeon Seung-bin_129
Eye│Remaxim_130
Barista│Jo Ji-hoon_131
Happiness│Jang Ye-jun_132
Strong Friendship│Kim Kang-hoon_133
Our Mom│Lee So-eun_134
Namgang│Yang Ho-young_136
Challenge│Kang Seong-min_137
Summer of Youth│Han Su-jin_138
Grandparents' Love│Lee Jong-yul_139
Mother│Kim Do-hyun_140
Director│Kim Min-seok_142
Cherry Blossoms│Seo Woo-seung_143
Memories│Yoo Da-kyung_144
Don't Be Hurt│Kim Seo-young_146
Spring Again│Moon Ye-bin_148

Commentary│Kim Je-gon, Literary Critic_150

Pyeongsan Bookstore's second book, following "Moon Jae-in's Reading Notes."
The background to the publication of the poetry collection, “Now I’m Going Home,” is unique.
It all started when the youth from the Gyeongnam Youth Recovery Center, who visited Pyeongsan Bookstore, met poet Park Seong-woo and read his youth poetry collection, “I’m Red,” together.
They read the poetry collection and wrote their own stories as poems. After reading the poems, the bookstore owner suggested publishing a poetry collection, saying he wanted to share the children's poetry with more people.

“It’s amazing.
That's great.
These are raw psalms.
He doesn't show off his skills or use any fancy metaphors.
It creates a resonance by revealing one's honest self.

Isn't this what real poetry is?
That's why we need poetry.
As I read each poem written by the children at the Youth Recovery Center, I wanted to share it with many people.

“I wanted to think together about children’s wanderings and worries, about the value and power of reading and writing, about why it takes a village to raise a child, and about what we can do.” - Former President Moon Jae-in and Pyeongsan Bookstore owner, “Opening Remarks”

It is not easy for adults to honestly confess their own wanderings and deviations.
It is even more difficult when there is a clear cold gaze towards one's actions.
However, reflection on mistakes cannot be achieved through criticism and severe punishment alone.
You will also need an environment where you can open your heart and honestly reflect on your mistakes.
If there are difficulties that cannot be filled through the lens of the law and the efforts of the family, perhaps an open community can help fill in some of the gaps.
Couldn't someone offer warm comfort rather than criticism, and warm listening rather than firmness?
Couldn't open communication change a person's life path?

Why it takes a village to raise a child
Youth recovery centers are alternative homes for youth who have received court-ordered protection but have nowhere to return.
The Youth Recovery Center, established at the suggestion of Judge Chun Jong-ho, famous for his scolding, began with the realization that simple legal punishment alone could not change the lives of young people.
It provides a stable living environment and professional counseling to youth who have wandered and deviated, and supports academic and technical training to help them become independent.
As a result, the recidivism rate is reduced by nearly half, empowering young people to return to their normal lives and return home and to their villages.

I want to show the world the courage of reflection and introspection.
Judge Ryu Ki-in, who presided over the juvenile trial at Changwon District Court, listened to the stories of the youth with the belief that “just listening can change a boy,” and poet Park Seong-woo helped the children weave together the stories they had told.
We decided to show children's reflections on their lives expressed in the form of poetry.
I wanted to be with the courage of children who want to reflect, introspect, and plan for tomorrow.

An honest look into the hearts of children going through difficult times.
At the Youth Recovery Center, children reflect on their lives through reading, discover their inner voice, and honestly express their inner landscapes that they have been unable to express through poetry.
This collection of poems is the first result of that activity.

This collection of poems, consisting of four parts, expresses all the scenes of a wandering youth, including courts and trials, relationships with parents and family, friends, longing for home, and the hope of living again, in the language of poetry.
Honest confessions of regret, fear, anxiety, and the desire to live well, conveyed in raw, unpolished language, resonate deeply.


A question for all of us, the moment when even wandering becomes poetry.
Children who honestly express their confessions and reflections on their wandering and deviance through poetry.
Their honest confessions were collected into a book of poetry.
The poetry collection "Now I'm Going Home" vividly shows that even at this very moment, someone is falling, getting back up, and constantly trying to hold on to their own world. It reminds us of the responsibility and solidarity that our society must revisit and asks us to reflect on.
“Are we listening to someone’s desperate story right now?