My friend

“To live in this world, you need a heart. For what purpose do you know? To let the wind carry it away. To let the wind carry it away…”

The lyrics of the late musician Trinh Cong Son always make me emotional whenever I think of my younger brother, my close friend, my soul mate. The person who shared all the joys and sorrows in life with me. The person who has accompanied me for many years. In particular, that friend has helped me step by step because my legs are weak, has helped me a lot on every step of my journey of composing poetry. I am very grateful for your heart!

I remember when I attended the Young Writers Camp organized by the Dong Nai Province Literature and Arts Association, you always helped me walk. You always proactively reached out to help me walk steadily, without falling. At every destination, at every province in my field trips, I had you with me. You never refused or were afraid of difficulties or hardships. You made me feel secure, without fear. You became a source of motivation, pushing me to write enthusiastically, to live fully with my passion for literature.

In every turning point of my life, every success of mine seems to have had your presence. Every time I wrote a poem, you would give me comments and edit it to make it better. Occasionally, when I had my work published in a newspaper, the first person I “showed off” to was you. Then I was admitted to the Dong Nai Province Literature and Arts Association on the occasion of Vietnam Poetry Day. After receiving the decision, you met me to congratulate me and said: “I give you a gift, to celebrate your new membership!”. Although the gift was small, I was very happy and joyful. I still clearly remember each line of your words: “Wishing you great creativity on your literary path!”.

I remember having many memories with you, from the times we met in the Literature Department's thematic activities. I can never forget your bright smile and your Southern accent. You were from Ho Chi Minh City, and you stood out for your compassionate personality, especially for the disabled. You were willing to help others, but never expected anything in return, which made me truly respect and love you.

To me, you are the “heart” in the song: “Living in life requires a heart…”. I keep hearing that song over and over again. Many times I expressed my desire to repay you, but you just smiled and said: “Let the wind take it away, my dear!”. That is what makes me feel that I owe you a deep favor. You have a noble heart, a great benefactor in my life. I even consider you a noble person, the one who has brought luck to my life.

Thank you for your kindness, thank you for helping me walk! These actions seem small and simple, but to me they are extremely great, meaningful, and more valuable than any other help or gift I have ever received.

Tran Huynh Quynh

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/dieu-gian-di/202508/ban-toi-46b049e/