(In remembrance of the soul of Ms. Ngo Thi Vuong)
(QBĐT) - My sister passed away a long time ago.
Last night in my dream, she came back.
Sad eyes gazing intently at the night stars.
Black, pomegranate-seed-shaped teeth, a smile that tugs at the heartstrings.
She stroked his head: "Do you remember?"
When she was a baby, her older sister held her and took care of her.
Sweet potato, lullaby
Betel leaves are for the rice seedlings, the dry sun is for myself.
Orphaned by his father, a heartbreaking love story.
That sea isn't salty enough for us, my dear.
Life's ups and downs
Happiness is the result of hard work and sweat.
My sister chewed betel nut thread.
Grieving for a child who has lost their mother… what will happen in the future?
Tears streamed down her face as she laughed.
The sea is so salty, yet the soup is so bland.
My sister has passed away.
Thirty years later, I've come to visit you again!
Ngo Minh
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Comment:
I've written a few articles about Ngo Minh's poetry. Recently, while reviewing Ngo Minh's works (Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 2016), I was startled to realize I had overlooked some of his heartfelt poems, including "My Sister ." Ngo Minh calls himself "a child of the sand." The verses he writes about Thuong Luat fishing village (the old name of a fishing village in Le Thuy district), and about his family members, seem to be distilled from blood and tears.
These are two lines from the poem "Remembering Mother" : Raising children, honoring a wronged husband/Mother gleans sweet potatoes in the sand to dry. And these are lines Ngo Minh wrote about his older brother's family during those impoverished years: In August, the young sweet potatoes burn their insides/The sea is turbulent, the horizon is torn to shreds/My brother and his children watch the fire/The fire laughs... (Sea Scars). Poet Ngo Minh confided: "It was not easy at all to build a life on that scorching white sand! My village has a lot of sun, a lot of fire, a lot of storms, a lot of waves, a lot of wind." Because he was born and raised in such a harsh rural area, Ngo Minh deeply sympathizes with the unfortunate fates of others, including his eldest sister, Ngo Thi Vuong.
Ms. Vuong was also Ngo Minh's only older sister. She had four brothers. In the early years of the American escalation of bombing in North Vietnam (1964-1965), a shrapnel fragment from an enemy ship offshore struck Thuong Luat village, claiming her life and leaving behind a brood of orphaned children. More than thirty years after her death, Ngo Minh never imagined:
Last night in my dream, she came back.
Sad eyes gazing intently at the night stars.
A smile with dark, pomegranate-colored teeth that tugs at the heartstrings.
Her eyes, teeth, and smile partly reveal her life. The "night stars" in the quiet night often evoke a profound, boundless sadness. This comparison sparks many associations. The poet Hoang Cam, in his poem "On the Other Side of the Duong River ," enthusiastically admires the beauty of girls with black teeth , "smiling like autumn sunshine." Ngo Minh, in his poem "My Sister," contrasts: "Black teeth like pomegranate seeds, a smile that twists the heart." A smile that "twists the heart" is a smile of sorrow, a smile that brings tears. The verse is full of emotion. Only by understanding his sister's plight could Ngo Minh compose such heartfelt verses!
He remembers Ms. Vuong with sincere gratitude and deep sympathy:
She stroked his head: "Do you remember?"
When she was a baby, her older sister held her and took care of her.
Sweet potato, lullaby
Betel leaves are for the rice seedlings, the dry sun is for myself.
Ngo Minh's mother often traveled far from home for business, and the four Ngo Minh brothers were successively "coaxed," "carried," and "cared for" by their eldest sister. Alongside these stories, a strange line suddenly appeared, attracting attention and making a strong impression: "Betel leaves for mother, the harsh sun for myself ." This means that the sister dedicated the warmest and sweetest feelings to her mother, while she took on all the suffering and bitterness herself. This is also the noble sacrifice of Vietnamese women throughout the ages, and the virtue of filial piety.
Ngo Minh continued to recount the unfortunate life of his sister:
Orphaned by his father, a heartbreaking love story.
That sea isn't salty enough for us, my dear.
Life's ups and downs
Happiness is earned through hard work and sweat.
While also depicting the plight of mothers and wives in the coastal region of Quang Binh during those difficult years, the poet To Huu recounts the life of Mother Suot in considerable detail: "Growing up, she worked in four different households / Twelve years and more, a time of spring passed / Getting married, she also suffered, giving birth to children / Eight births, several miscarriages, what a pity… " Ngo Minh, however, only recounts it in a few short, concise lines. Being an orphan was already difficult, but the added "heartbreaking love story" multiplied the suffering. Although the author doesn't specifically recount her love story, the single word "heartbreaking" says it all. The poet is extremely economical with words. Ngo Minh encapsulates the hardships of Mrs. Vuong in one sentence: "Happiness drenched in sweat and toil."
Near the end of the poem, Ngo Minh once again mentions his sister's smile: "Sister's smile, tears streaming down her face. " The repetition of the word "smile" at the beginning and end of the sentence cannot stop the tears from flowing. She suddenly asks her brother: "Why is the sea so salty, yet the soup is bland? " This is "A big question. No answer" (The Arhats of Tay Phuong Pagoda - Huy Can). Ngo Minh's poetry is sharp, multifaceted, and full of hidden thoughts. The sea being salty while the soup is bland is a paradox. This is a metaphorical expression, carrying many layers of meaning. Our country is blessed by nature with "golden forests and silver seas," yet generation after generation our people remain poor: "The whole country is submerged in straw/The Van Chieu Hon (Invocation of Souls) was soaked by the falling rain" (Che Lan Vien). Today, although the world has changed, some households and localities still have not escaped poverty. The question, "The sea is so salty, yet the soup is bland," has become a source of anguish and concern for those who care about the fate of the country and the nation.
My sister quite fully embodies Ngo Minh's poetic style. His poems are like "the cuts of waves," prompting readers to ponder. Everyone wants their poetry to be new, but it must be good, authentic, and distilled from the heart; not just a jumble of words and phrases.
Hue , July 20, 2024
Mai Van Hoan
Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202408/tho-chon-loi-binh-chi-toi-2220031/
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