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A harmony
The female writer Le Nguyet Minh, born in 1984, graduated from the 7th class of the Nguyen Du School of Creative Writing and currently lives and writes in Dong Nai . Perhaps when writing, Le Nguyet Minh completely transforms herself with poetry, a form of poetry that embodies the essence of the universe and life itself, which is inherently harmonious in color, rhythm, and sound. Therefore, both of her poetry collections address motifs of day and night, flowers and plants, sea waves, and the moon… At the same time, the author pays little attention to rhyme, yet her verses flow very naturally, bright, innocent, and subtle.
I am a poet
Using fragility as a foundation
Life is full of arrows, and the wicked are often rewarded with sweet victories.
I was small and solitary by nature.
Taking hesitant steps through each lifetime
The vastness of the universe makes it easier to hide.
Many hands are helping me up.
The letters of my life helped me move forward…
(Which phoenix is reduced to ashes after a hundred battles?)
"Lotus Lock" is a collection of poems focused on nature; any flower or plant present can become a poetic inspiration for connection, love, and contemplation: magnolia, butterfly pea, chrysanthemum, rose, cockscomb, yellow apricot blossom… and lotus. But behind each petal lies a wealth of unspoken feelings:
The wings are thin, so it will hurt.
The wind passes through without getting caught.
Words can be harsh and hurtful.
Embedded in the clouds are two bottomless things.
I am honest, I am a dreamer.
Multiply by the number of months and days to remember…
(Sending chrysanthemums)
Flowers possess a kind of sentience, much like humans maintain a constant state of awareness, yet they are infinitely fragile. The relationship between humanity and nature is both vast and subtle.
Le Nguyet Minh's "Lotus Lock" frequently mentions poetry, tea, and wine. But these are poems, tea, and wine within the realms of living, being intoxicated, and transcending.
Everyone experiences love, everyone experiences pain.
Remembering each other, we infuse our sadness with the fragrance of flowers and drink it.
The wine is bitter, but the heart is bitter.
Swallowing it will bring eternal sweetness.
(Unfinished business)
Alcohol, like poetry, cannot mask sadness and loneliness. The author directly names the eternal medium of loneliness: sadness and longing. From this, the flower of the heart blossoms; but sometimes, incompleteness, of being unfinished, is a powerful signal of the yearning for life of a soul always hướng towards the vast universe, towards the ultimate whole: "Just pour your heart out into white wine - Red flowers bloom unexpectedly outside the window" (Temporary Writing); "Now who has the moon's pale hue - Now the wine is like..." (It's when you're no longer in pain).
The poetry collection "Lotus Lock" won the A prize of the Dong Nai Literature and Arts Association in 2025. It is hoped that the collection will receive resonant and empathetic feedback from readers, stemming from the genuine emotions and beautiful language of the young female writer Le Nguyet Minh.
The realm of devoted poetry
The Lotus Lock is a poetic realm that seems solitary, but is actually very rich and abundant for Le Nguyet Minh, because it contains an inner world that is inclined towards goodness, yearning for companionship and sharing. This poetic soul is so sensitive and pure that it perceives every minute, every second of the human spirit's transformation:
With only 9 minutes left, even the poem is rushed.
How many instants are there in 8 minutes?
Does living longer add more years to my life?
Or perhaps they are shortening their journey through life.
(Lotus)
The lotus motif frequently alludes to human existence, to individual selves, to nature, the universe, and to the absent… Yet, these are precisely the signals that speak of a spiritual practice undertaken both as a person and as a poet. The author lives and writes according to his understanding, without adding colors to himself or his poems that differ from their inherent nature.
And the lotus also enters Le Nguyet Minh's poetry in a very vivid and symbolic way. These include "the delicate color of the lotus," "the lotus lock," "the lotus blooming season," "the withered lotus flower"... In Vietnamese culture, as well as in Buddhist scriptures, the lotus symbolizes purity and nobility.
The spirit of Le Nguyet Minh's Lotus Lock truly remains "intact like a lotus" (to use the words of poet Hong Thanh Quang), and the Lotus Lock not only signifies a key that unlocks the door to the poet's heart and soul. The Lotus Lock is also a time for spiritual practice, a time to place oneself within the fleeting, finite period of the lotus flower (as well as life) to seek, grasp, and affirm one's self-worth amidst the vast world.
Lock the lotus, open the heart to a dream of azure blue.
The gate was half-closed, half-open.
Sen has locked away her heart, freeing herself from loneliness.
Her slender shoulders gently rest against someone's heart...
(Lotus lock)
The Lotus Lock is also a collection of poems "describing light" (the title of one poem in the collection) with many different shades and expressions, reflecting the author's mood in the face of the transformations of the universe and human consciousness. It can be said that the author was very intelligent to realize:
That's very unrealistic, even though I know that.
How many people were imprisoned after a brief flash of light?
silent
Drop the gem into solitude.
Rolling, rolling, rolling all the way to the bottom…
Light is an integral part of life, of the world around us, an "unknowable" entity that the author can only "name" as "I" (sit down beside me), simple, illusory like the depths of the sea, destiny - within others… Thus, alongside sadness and longing, the poet always strives to embrace and record in his mind the outlines, moments, and imprints of life. The author's life journey is recorded in poems such as "Temporary Writing," "Shallow Writing," "A Fleeting Moment," "Hurry," "Evoking Illusions "… But in reality, these are meaningful "satna" (moments) that fill the ephemeral human being according to Buddhist philosophy; at the same time, they contribute light to illuminate the path of self-discovery for each individual.
Mai Son
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202601/khoa-sen-tho-la-yeu-va-tan-hien-63c24fb/
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