In the soft, delicate light of a deep blue morning, autumn has arrived.
Autumn arrives along the winding path, permeated with the intoxicating fragrance of chestnut blossoms. The path is like two intertwined hands, fragrant and hardworking, of the women of Thinh Xa village. The path is like a pale blue cloud in the eighth layer of clouds. The path is imbued with the gentle footprints on a carpet of light golden leaves that have just softly fallen in the deep blue morning, intensely fragrant.
Thinh Xa village nestles beside the picturesque Pho Giang river. From the majestic mountains of the Giang Man range, the water, distilled from the magnificent mountains, flows gracefully and intensely into the Pho Giang river. This river meanders through villages and along banks a vibrant green… Each autumn, the river paints soft, silken curves over Thinh Xa village.
The Ngàn Phố River traces gentle curves like a silk ribbon... (Photo: Photographer Đậu Bình/ Hà Tĩnh Union of Literature and Arts Associations).
Thịnh Xá is my beloved maternal hometown, where, as a five- or seven-year-old child, I would toddle after my aunt to the weaving workshop every afternoon to collect scraps of yarn. We children would neatly arrange the colorful yarn in small boxes, then string them together to make long, colorful cords.
In the golden twilight, bathed in the clear, emerald light of autumn sunbeams, I was captivated by the beautiful fairies, their hands nimbly joining threads, their beady eyes sparkling with deep blue smiles. The weaving workshop stretched along the edge of the pond, surrounded by countless Barringtonia trees. Their gnarled, proud branches stretched their lush foliage over the water's surface. When the sun's intensity faded and turned a soft, golden hue like bee pollen, the Barringtonia branches were dotted with buds on long, drooping flower stalks that hung low over the water.
By mid-autumn, the crape myrtle trees burst into bloom, their delicate petals forming chains, their vibrant green and red hues creating a breathtaking scene that stirred a sense of wistfulness and longing. I still remember those autumn afternoons, after the weaving workshop closed, my aunt and her friends would let their long hair down and sit on the crape myrtle trunks lying lazily on the water's surface. The crape myrtle blossoms, carried by the wind, formed carpets of plum-red flowers shimmering in the gentle sunlight. The scene was truly poetic, as beautiful as something out of a fairy tale.
Thinh Xa village is crisscrossed by small alleys. These charming and peaceful alleys are lined with meticulously and skillfully trimmed hedges. The smooth, green hedges, bathed in the clear, emerald-green autumn sunlight, sprout tender young shoots. Three-room thatched houses with windows made of polished bamboo lie at the end of these verdant hedge paths. These hedges run crisscrossing the riverbanks, which are tinged with the golden hues of leaves and fragrant persimmons.
Amidst the shimmering sunlight of autumn, one can sense the rich aromas and scents of home.
I've heard the gentle breath of autumn in the cool breeze. I've smelled the intoxicating scent of ripe persimmons on the long, flowing hair of the girls from Thinh Xa village. A touch of cool, crisp air in the early mornings. A hint of golden hue on the vast expanse of water cascading down from the majestic Giang Man mountain range. A touch of shyness on the rosy cheeks of the young women of Thinh Xa village, their bare feet splashing in the water on the riverbank. A red dragonfly, a sprig of green chrysanthemum, a string of vibrant red mung bean flowers, and the intoxicating aroma of clusters of persimmons hanging heavy along the riverbank.
Autumn has arrived. In the small alleyways, shimmering emerald sunlight gently settles on the delicate shoulders of young women. Autumn tinges the sandy slopes with gold, and sparkles with fresh colors in the caressing evening breeze.
Autumn has arrived! Leisurely tucking a handful of popped corn into my pocket, savoring a sweet, nameless blade of grass on my tongue, skipping along the narrow lanes lined with lush green reeds, my heart is peaceful and filled with the same passionate love as in my childhood. In the shimmering sunlight of autumn, I breathe in the rich aroma of my homeland.
Early autumn, August 12, 2023.
Tong Phu Sa
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