Mossy alley in Hoi An

Deep and profound
Mossy alleyways in the city
My childhood was filled with playing tag.
Running from Phan Chu Trinh, through Cuong De, past Nguyen Thai Hoc, and winding out to the windy riverbank.
The wind blows up from the azure Hoai River, generous and refreshing…

ILLUSTRATION: VAN NGUYEN

Alleys in Hoi An
It's a whole world of innocent secrets for kids who grew up in the city.
That world was filled with the chirping of crickets in the summer.
Colorful betta fish flick their tails in the deep, ancient well.
The water is crystal clear.
The sound of the bucket hitting the well walls echoed clearly on moonlit nights.
The sound of stray cats meowing on the yin-yang tiled roof of the old house.
The late-night vendor's cry for fertilized duck eggs echoed melodiously...

Quiet and vast
The alley can sometimes be as naive as a first love.
A package of sticky rice with corn, timidly and discreetly wrapped.
The hesitant sound of wooden clogs echoed on the deserted street.
There is a longing that cannot be named.
Someone was standing in a secluded alley waiting for someone, but that person didn't come.
Only a long, silent night, like fate.
The mournful buzzing of mosquitoes is heartbreaking…

Alleyways of Hoi An
It is the lifeblood of the street.
It's human life.
The alleyways are as familiar as the lines on the palm of your hand.
Even with my eyes closed, I can still remember every nook and cranny vividly.
This is the corner where I used to skip school and play with friends when I was a kid.
This is the corner where my mother hit me, so I crawled in and cried.
I pull out my comic books to read in this corner at lunchtime.
This is the first time I held your hand.
In this corner, I wiped my face and cried silently when you said goodbye…

People grow up and people go away.
The elderly grow old, and the elderly remain.
Nobody stays in the city forever.
No one leaves the city and never returns.
The road stretched for miles through mountains and streams…

The alley remains, standing silently like a witness.
With sunshine, with wind, and moss growing faintly green with the passing years and seasons…

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hem-reu-o-hoi-an-tho-cua-dinh-le-vu-185250301151400143.htm