Extracting the essence of life into poems.

In 2024, after a long journey of artistic creation with dozens of books, including five poetry collections, poet Ta Van Sy (Kon Tum ward, Quang Ngai province) released his sixth poetry collection with a simple title that perfectly conveys the intentions of the "mountain town motorbike taxi poet" (the affectionate name his literary friends often use): "Selected Poems".

This poetry collection, comprising over 100 poems, was published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House.

Throughout his writing career, poet Ta Van Sy has impressed readers with numerous prestigious awards. With his collection "Selected Poems," the author once again affirms his creative energy, helping readers gain a multifaceted perspective and a deeper appreciation for what the poetry collection offers.

Indeed, as a curated collection of poems, all the cherished thoughts and essence are gathered within it. And then, following each poem, each line, we discover the colors of life, the reflections on the human condition, the consequences of the past, in which the pure and sincere human feelings and the shimmering essence of life are reflected through each verse.

In one poem, Ta Van Sy self-portraits himself: “Once upon a time there was a poet / Born on an inauspicious day and hour / So his life was full of hardships / He stumbled in his pursuit of fame and struggled in his pursuit of love…”. Perhaps this is a humorous, self-deprecating humor, naturally stemming from a person who knows contentment and lives enough for his passions? In the first poem of the collection, he views the poet as a “miserable beggar.” A truly innocent and endearing metaphor and reflection: “Gathering life’s possessions as personal capital” (Poet, p. 11). He further self-portraits: “Living through the years / Days and months slip behind me / My eyes are accustomed to seeing mountains / So my soul is as green as the forest!” (In Kon Tum , p. 12).

Those who have met him all say that Ta Van Sy is a calm, reserved person with a witty and humorous ability to draw people into conversation. Among the hundreds of members of the Vietnam Writers Association and the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities, Ta Van Sy has no academic degree. Instead of being discouraged by this, the poet, drawing on his knowledge and life experiences, has distilled philosophical and reflective verses such as: “No matter how strong the wine, it’s all too bland / I ask the bar to find something stronger / Burning my heart and soul sitting with friends / Drunk on wine, drunk on people, drunk on Quy Nhon…” or: “Soon we will return to the mountains / Standing like stone statues on the mountainside / Gazing towards the distant sea / Remembering the wine, remembering people, remembering Quy Nhon” (Drunk in Quy Nhon, p. 55).

These poems are deeply rooted in the spirit of the Nẫu region, both rugged and rustic, yet also gentle and profound. It's evident that in most of the poems in the collection, the longing for home and the anxieties about one's fate constantly fluctuate, sometimes manifesting, sometimes hidden behind layers of language: “Half a lifetime still in a realm of sorrow and confusion / A hundred years gone by, a path leading to dreams / Bowing my head to the low earth and high sky / My hands reaching out to wave goodbye to emptiness” (The Taste of Life, p. 92). Every life, every human fate, inevitably faces changes, turning points, and twists and turns. The poet Tạ Văn Sỹ is no exception. But it is the strength hidden within his calm, somewhat austere, and deeply troubled face that gives rise to poems that burn brightly: “Sitting silently like a statue, like a tombstone / Imagining myself lost on the edge of humanity / Dissolving with each fading cigarette / Like each passing moment of time…” (Sitting in a Cafe, p. 93).

Reading the collection "Selected Poems," we find a diverse range of themes, from social issues to lyrical poems, from gentle feelings for life to profound emotions for family and friends. In addition, the poems about Kon Tum are given with warm and sincere affection. It's a Kon Tum depicted with the scenery of all four seasons, a place of longing and remembrance. The poet is always proud of his second homeland, the place that sheltered him and gave him the essence of the Central Highlands mountains and forests: "I haven't visited Kon Tum yet / The mountains and forests wait for me, watching / In spring, the little birds are bewildered / Returning late, their wings fluttering hesitantly" (I haven't visited Kon Tum yet, p. 78).

Poet Ta Van Sy has reached his seventies, a life of experience. His poems, regardless of subject matter, are always filled with profound reflections. "My soul is like geology / Layers upon layers of ancient sediments / Throughout my life I excavate / Searching for the primordial sadness!" (There is a sadness, p. 12). He also wrote: "Poems cannot sustain him / Nor can they bring him honor or status / People cherish the poet's heart / Calling him a Poet" (A Tribute to a Poet, p. 14). Could the poet mentioned be himself?

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202510/chat-vi-doi-thanh-nhung-ang-tho-4ee0785/