Minh Thùy - A talented poet

He was a poet with a distinctive personality and talent. He wrote poetry and prose simultaneously, and both were excellent. Minh Thùy, Ba Cao (musician Thanh Trần), and Út Triều (Mạc Văn Chi - Nguyễn Phong Triều) all came from Tân Hưng Tây commune, surrounded by vast mangrove forests. They were friends from childhood and were well-known figures in the arts during the nine-year resistance against the French invasion.

One of the poetry collections by poet Minh Thùy.

It wasn't until the end of 1965, when I returned to C7 (Southwestern Region Arts and Culture Subcommittee), that the friendship between the three brothers remained close, noble, and rare. Ut Trieu, the oldest, formerly the youngest son of a wealthy family, was the most flamboyant and stylish "Big Brother"; Ba Cao was kind, honest, and the most handsome; Minh Thuy (Tu Moi) was the most intelligent and demanding, always strict and lecturing, often finding fault, arguing with his comrades, and wanting a young girlfriend... All three famous brothers happily accepted me as the fourth member, the "fourth" position. They often asked me to go to Anh Nam Chon's fishing camp in Kinh 17 to get red-roe crabs and mackerel (devil fish) to use as appetizers to enjoy with Thanh Tung rice wine (made by Uncle Tam Trieu - the renowned photographer and musician Ut Minh Dau Vo - from delicious black glutinous rice).

Now, I am the only one left in this group. Minh Thuy passed away after Ba Cao and Ut Trieu, just over a decade ago, when his life was at a standstill. He was afflicted with a strange fungal infection that caused him to become ill and unable to revise his valuable manuscripts.

Regarding poetry, he has hundreds of poems, among which "Letter to My Wife" is the best, widely appreciated by readers. The poem contains witty and charming lines such as:

"My toenails rotted during the rice harvest season, which was a failure."

"When making rice cakes during Tet, do you remember anyone?"

The poem "In Spring, I Carry Golden Sand" is also very beautiful.

He had the demeanor of an intellectual, meticulously managing his daily life. He would wake up early, brush his teeth, shave, and check in the mirror to see if anything needed adjusting before going to work. He was honest and hot-tempered, but his temper was completely different from that of the writer Nguyen Mai. He carefully considered the issue before launching his attack. But once he attacked, he never showed mercy. Years later, due to disagreements at work, he turned his attacks on his two old friends, Ut Trieu and Ba Cao. Towards the end of his life, he lived a lonely existence. When Ut Trieu and Ba Cao passed away, perhaps he regretted his actions and wished to turn his grief into stone!

Towards the end of his life, he once went to Tra Vinh as if rediscovering the footsteps of his youth. He visited the renowned painter Phong Ba, spontaneously composing a memorable autobiographical poem that impressed Phong Ba and his wife. On that same occasion, he visited the Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committee, meeting with the Provincial Party Secretary Bui Quang Huy – a friend from his youth during the resistance war. He was received kindly and cordially by the Provincial Party Secretary. Satisfied, he returned to his "humble abode" in Can Tho . He wrote a farewell letter to the Propaganda Department of the Southwestern Region when they held a reunion in Kien Giang, which was also his way of saying goodbye to his old comrades.

The poetry scene in the Western region has lost him!

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/minh-thuy-nha-tho-tai-nang-a187938.html