His Excellency
Kim Jong Un
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Pyongyang
Dear Mr. Chairman:
We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and
discussions relative to a summit long sought by both parties, which was scheduled to take place
on June 12 in Singapore. We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but
that to us is totally irrelevant. I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly,
based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it
is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. Therefore, please let this letter
serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of
the world, will not take place. You talk about nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and
powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used.
I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that
dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you. In the meantime, I
want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a
beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated.
If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to
call me or write. The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting
peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.
Sincerely yours,
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
Note: This poem is an erasure of a letter from Donald Trump to Kim Jong-un, dated May 24, 2018. Read it in full here.
READ MORE
Trump releases Kim Jong Un letter, touts great progess despite challenging signs [CNN]
Foreign policy analysts skeptical of North Korea summit results, lack of details [Wall Street Journal]
Jerrod Schwarz teaches creative writing at the University of Tampa. His work has appeared in PANK, Entropy, The Fem, and many others. His first chapbook, The Crop, was published by Rinky Dink Press in 2016. He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife and twin daughters.
Image by Stephan.
