Poetry collection "Memory" by Huynh Khang - Photo: DAO DUC TUAN
The launching ceremony of the poetry collection "Memories" (Literature Publishing House, 2025) by artist Huynh Khang was recently warmly organized by friends in Binh Kien ward, Dak Lak .
Huynh Khang said he did not dare to call himself a professional poet, because during the long days at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, his longing for his mother and hometown prompted him to write to ease his feelings.
Whatever he thinks of, he writes it down. Suddenly remembering an image or a melody of the countryside, he types it into his phone or computer. He wanders in his memories. Essays about missing his relatives, his house, his neighborhood, weddings, death anniversaries, Tet, the rice-cutting season in his hometown... tremble, tear up, and timidly appear on his personal Facebook page.
Poet Huynh Khang and two poetry reciters Ngoc Ha (left) and Bich Tram (right) at the introduction of the poetry collection "Memory" - Photo: DAO DUC TUAN
Interspersed with simple poems, filled with the love of the neighborhood and the countryside. And naturally, his prose and poetry are shared and sympathized with by many people. Amidst the sound of car horns taking people to the hospital and crematorium, Huynh Khang longs to escape the stuffy concrete and rush straight towards the spaciousness of his hometown:
Want to return to the fields, to the fields
Back to the row of mustard greens blooming at the front of the yard
Country people live a poor life
Neighbors help out early in the morning.
(Want to go home)
The nostalgia seems impolite.
Just stick with me, follow me everywhere
When the afternoon smoke spreads, the memories become more fierce.
Tuy Hoa, Tuy Hoa! I miss you so much!
(Missing Tuy Hoa)
White hair to sleep in the countryside
One night, all my childhood came flooding back
(Sleep in the countryside)
Poet Huynh Khang is signing "Memory" - Photo: DAO DUC TUAN
Poet Phan Hoang commented: "Full of familiar natural images. The countryside is so beautiful it touches the heart. Childhood comes back to life. Without a deep love for one's homeland, a delicate soul that knows how to listen, a sensitive heart that knows how to forgive, one cannot write such simple verses."
"Huynh Khang probably wouldn't have thought of a career in literature and art if the Covid-19 pandemic hadn't happened. In every misfortune there is a blessing. During the days of staying at home amid the pandemic, he sought the joy of writing to relieve himself.
One by one, his poems, songs, and essays posted on his personal website received many shares from like-minded souls. His hidden potential was unlocked," also said by poet Phan Hoang.
Following Huynh Khang's poetry, many people realize that his words are full of melody and uplifting. So I was not surprised when he learned music by himself and then followed his teacher to compose some of his poems into quite successful songs, spreading quickly among music lovers. At the same time, many musicians were in tune with Huynh Khang's poetry. Like the song of the same name, which composed the poem "Only your smile":
Just your smile
But why is my heart so moved?
Just your smile
Why is my soul confused?
Like the song of the same name based on the poem "Memory":
There is a peaceful countryside in my memories
There is a long sandy beach reflecting my childhood
There is a river hugging the mountain range
Holding me for decades...
Writer Tran Nha Thuy acknowledged: "Here, I do not mean to compare Huynh Khang with Nguyen Binh, but clearly the rustic soul in the country people, from the time of Nguyen Binh until now, there are not many people who have the consciousness to preserve it like Huynh Khang anymore.
The words "missing", "lacking", "misplaced", "snorting", "choking", "choking"... are not only dialects, but also the memories of the heart, the place where the honest soul of the countryside is anchored. As Nguyen Duy said: "Suddenly I miss, really miss, honestly/ Miss the road I never passed by"...
That honesty does not bring people any fame, but through the ups and downs of life, they crave, miss, and thirst for it. Like thirsting for a source of cool, clear water.
Artist Huynh Khang confided: "I was born in 1973, in Phuoc Nong village, Hoa Binh 1 commune, Tay Hoa district, Phu Yen (old); now Tay Hoa commune, Dak Lak. In my life, I never thought that one day I would fall into literature and poetry.
Since childhood, I lived in the fields, then rushed from the countryside to the city to study, work, get married, raise children... A dizzying cycle through the streets of Saigon. I studied and worked as a pharmacist, and hardly wrote anything. Suddenly, one day in the midst of the pandemic, my love for literature and singing surged, forcing me to break into songs and verses. And I was completely absorbed."
Although written and published in many places, Huynh Khang only chose 50 poems for the poetry collection "Memory". With the material and inspiration of his hometown, Nau. He said: "I have lived in many lands but only have poems about Nau. As for other lands, I will probably wait for more time to absorb...".
The poetry collection "Memories" - the simple and soaring crystallization of Huynh Khang's soul after 5 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that his simple voice, unique writing style, and full of spirit will be the guarantee for Huynh Khang to continue developing on the unique path of poetic and artistic creation.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mien-nho-tu-trong-dai-dich-20251025204906463.htm
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