Le Thi May, with a kind heart in every verse of her poetry.

QTO - Le Thi May, whose real name is Pham Thi Tuyet Bong, was born on February 4, 1949, in Trieu Long commune, former Trieu Phong district (now Ai Tu commune). She later lived in Thuy Truong, Hue City, and then settled in Hanoi. She is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association and former Editor-in-Chief of Cua Viet Magazine (formerly Quang Tri province).

After finishing high school, Le Thi May joined the Youth Volunteer Force. After the reunification of the country, she studied at the Nguyen Du School of Creative Writing, worked in journalism from 1970, and later became the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Cua Viet.

Le Thi May has published dozens of poetry collections, epic poems, and prose works, including: *Seasons of Waiting for the Moon* (poetry, 1980), *A Gift for One Person* (poetry, 1990), *Alone* (poetry, 1990), *Moon on the Sand* (short story, 1987), *A Young Woman's Dream* (poetry, 1996)... Le Thi May received the Vietnam Writers Association Award in 1990 for her poetry collection *A Gift for One Person*.

A collection of poems and short stories by author Le Thi May - Photo: PXD

Le Thi May's poetry is rich in femininity, containing personal feelings, subtle and gentle emotional nuances, sometimes touching upon hidden complexities that are difficult to fully express. In the poem "Seasons of Waiting for the Moon," the author wrote:

A letter from my brother, notifying him of his return.

Let the moon rise as promised.

In the clear air, the betel nut flowers are fragrant.

The clouds begin to take on a tender hue.

The crescent moon has tilted to one side.

Bombs shake the crescent moon.

Boats in the distance

Amidst the rugged, verdant mountains.

Whether in times of peace or war, a woman's feelings remain tender, passionate, and profound, imbued with feminine gentleness, even during the long wait measured in lunar cycles. This waiting, like a prolonged, persistent refrain, makes the joy of meeting and seeing each other rare and precious; even after meeting, it feels like a dream, sometimes unbelievable. This is the psychological and emotional state that war brings to those directly or indirectly involved.

He carried his backpack home.

The earth and sky are crammed together.

Her joy faded.

Like the moon rising in broad daylight

We met during the full moon.

You are as young as the sky.

His embrace was tender.

Rich in lullabies on the lips

When he's away, the world seems vast, always lacking something that only longing and love can fully comprehend; but when he returns, "the world seems to shrink." These emotional nuances, varying with time and state of mind, resonate in the poem—at times of anticipation, at times of joy, yet remaining tender until the moment of parting.

Tomorrow we'll say goodbye again.

The crescent moon shines through the rice paddies.

Nine thousand stars night after night

Drop a drop of fire into the heart.

I'm waiting for you, I'm waiting.

The beautiful moon... a face

Every morning I follow him.

Throughout the war.

The image of the women in the poem is that of those in wartime; even their longing and endless yearning follow the men on their way to the battlefield. The longing also travels with them, not remaining at home as it usually does. These stanzas evoke a famous Nobel Prize-winning work of foreign literature, striking from its very title, "War Has No Woman's Face." These are truly special emotions found only in war, especially in protracted people's wars, filled with countless hardships, and women bear the brunt of them most.

By the time the poem "Village River" was written, the poet had already explored and experimented with different ways of expression. While still feminine, it was a femininity with a somewhat edgy quality, as the sharp, winding rhymes in the poem made it seem stronger, more restrained in emotion, and more intense:

Red rock, river source, sandstone

The tree's eyes ache with longing, without tears.

I returned to my father's village to bathe in the waters of his homeland.

And then it was like stones weeping.

In my soul, in my heart

When the floodwaters pour down, the moon tilts over Thach Han.

The final stanza emerges as a vow carved into the stone of the Thach Han River in our homeland:

I returned to the village and planted a pole in nothingness.

Please allow me to drink and gaze at the village's longing for the harbor.

The village's shadow dampens the heart.

"The village's shadow soaks the heart" is a beautiful, fresh, and poetic expression that creates a lasting impression on the poem and its meaning.

Le Thi May is a professional poet who has been well-known in the literary world for quite some time. She has written extensively about Quang Tri and has several works that have been well-received, such as "Hieu River" and "Returning to Dong Ha." Although the latter poem mentions the city, the main imagery and root emotion remain longing for her homeland and nostalgia for a love story broken by war. The author is also the lyrical persona in the poem, stepping into the present while her soul yearns for the past, filled with poignant regrets and sorrow. The poem is like a sigh after the great national reunion, but for the woman, the boat of love has been lost, leaving behind a profound and lingering sadness, echoing in the hearts of readers like a refrain of unfulfilled love.

"Thirteen years later, I return to Dong Ha / The Hieu River still bustles with markets / Many girls now sing lullabies to their mothers / And the betel leaves are still green for buyers / I've crossed the river, what do I care about the number of ferry trips? / Why does sadness still linger on the waiting dock? / Why does my heart still ache with regret? / There was someone back then who sang for me..."

"Oh, Hieu River, January promises spring/The apricot blossoms still bloom, lingering in the sweet chill of the evening/Golden like the sun, I thought joy but wept/Rosy cheeks, hands filled with longing for each other/Back then, you made your promise with betel leaves/Even as the afternoon market faded and the customers dispersed/A touch of red lime on my lips, I secretly regretted/Blaming myself for smiling and bowing my hat, thus ending our separation..."

The poem is like a self-reflection, an inner monologue recounting the story of life, the love story of a youthful romance. One might think, "Love is already within, but outwardly still hesitant" (The Tale of Kieu). A single word, even a glance, could be like a vow of eternal love, a thread of fate. But no, sadly, it's not like that. The reason is as in the final line: "Blame me for laughing, bowing my hat as parting." A love as light as a cloud has become a memory, perhaps even an illusion, slipping away from grasp because of a moment of shyness, awkwardness typical of a young girl, especially a village girl. Long ago, it still haunts the heart, sometimes evoking feelings of regret… The poem's beauty lies in its authenticity, its gentle yet subtle and profound nature. Gentle, yet still poignant and full of longing.

Le Thi May's poems reflect a process of perception and expression through poetry, creating the unique image of a professional poet deeply devoted to her homeland of Quang Tri.

Pham Xuan Dung

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202605/le-thi-may-hon-hau-trong-tung-van-tho-5ae679f/