The color yellow evokes feelings of longing.

May is arriving leisurely, with the warm sunshine filtering through the branches and leaves. Along the road back to my hometown during the holidays, I indulged in the golden hues of early summer flowers. Passing along the Hoang Sa - Vo Nguyen Giap road, I saw the golden color of the crape myrtle trees; their tiny blossoms bursting forth, their golden hues imprinted against the blue sky, breathtakingly beautiful. Walking beneath these blooming crape myrtle trees evokes images of Levitan's "golden autumn," even though it was the beginning of summer. The crape myrtle blooms three times a year, each lasting only two to three days, but its colors are always captivating.

The old Lagerstroemia trees on Son Tra Peninsula typically reach an average height of nearly 10 meters, with wide canopies and dense blooms. Photo: XUAN SON

As our car sped past, in front of someone's gate stood a golden shower tree (also known as golden scorpion tree or golden osaka tree) with its delicate, bright yellow blossoms hanging in clusters like golden bells. The golden shower tree (also called golden scorpion tree or golden osaka tree) is proudly beautiful, almost teasing; standing near a low-lying tree, your hand itches to pluck a cluster to satisfy your craving for flowers. While the crape myrtle flower has a yellowish-orange hue, the golden shower tree's yellow is a vibrant, fresh, and lively yellow. The first time I saw this flower was seven years ago when I visited Linh Ung Pagoda (Bai But, Son Tra Peninsula). My eyes caught sight of the clusters of flowers hanging from the tree, sparkling, and I couldn't help but be amazed. The golden petals of the golden shower tree burst forth in a rare golden color, interspersed with rhombus-shaped buds that, from afar, looked like tiny lanterns with green strings.

Here and there, clusters of yellow blossoms appear at the tips of the branches, resembling funnels interspersed and brilliantly vibrant against the green foliage. The golden trumpet flower (also known as the silver trumpet flower) is an ornamental plant native to South America, widely cultivated in the central and southern provinces of Vietnam. In terms of feng shui, it symbolizes freshness, growth, and prosperity, making it a popular choice for planting at gates, in gardens, or on school and office grounds. Each cluster of flowers sways in the wind, its petals fluttering down like delicate butterflies; strangely, when the plant flowers, all the leaves fall, as if conserving nutrients to nourish the plump, full, and vibrant yellow blossoms.

Along the roadside, the golden oleander stands out, its pointed leaves resembling green pins. The yellow color of the oleander flowers adds to the vibrant tapestry of nature. Unlike other yellow flowers that usually grow in clusters, oleanders grow sparsely in the leaf axils, each flower like a pretty golden bell, a unique and striking addition amidst the lush green. Because the leaves, flowers, and stem of the oleander are poisonous, in contrast to the yellow flowers cherished and pampered by people, the humble oleander grows by the roadside; even without watering or fertilizing, the plant still takes deep root in the soil, breathing in the air, and each time it blooms, it contributes to the earth and sky with its rare yellow hues of self-reliance and independence.

Along the roads I strolled through, glimpses of the yellow blossoms of the Lagerstroemia indica (also known as Lagerstroemia indica, Cassia fistula, or golden shower tree) could be seen. The vibrant yellow flowers stood out against the green foliage, brightening up an entire street corner. Looking at these flowers, I was reminded of the road leading to Son Tra Peninsula; the stretch from Tien Sa Port up about 2km was entirely covered in the yellow of Lagerstroemia indica.

Returning to the countryside, my nostalgia returns to the old days when I encounter patches of late-blooming mustard flowers standing alone amidst the green fields of chili peppers, melons, beans, and corn. Each breeze that passes by makes the delicate mustard petals flutter, evoking a sense of longing and regret; suddenly, I recall the poetic lines of Nghiem Thi Hang: “There was a season of mustard flowers / Blooming golden by the riverbank / You were still a young girl / Waiting for me, not yet married” (The Season of Mustard Flowers). With each passing season of mustard flowers, I grow older with nostalgia… I remember those days, every late spring, my yard was a sea of ​​yellow; the gentle, graceful golden sea of ​​mustard flowers always captivated every gaze and elicited countless admiring exclamations. In the distance, along the riverbank where the water flows year-round, someone's trellis of fragrant gourds was in bloom. The simple yellow color of the flowers, the genuine fragrance, attracted the bumblebees. And following the familiar concrete road, my eyes were met with a vast golden carpet of the countryside preparing for harvest. A promising golden hue, symbolizing a bountiful harvest and prosperity...

Less than two weeks after turning from a pale green, the rice grains changed to a golden hue; from a light yellow to a rich, golden color; the rice stalks, heavy with grains of precious nature, bowed their heads in gratitude for the farmers' care. Before the vastness of the rice paddies, I felt small again, memories flooding back of days spent diligently harvesting rice, moonlit nights operating threshing machines, and scorching summer afternoons drying the grains until they were crisp. Now, my senses are wide open to embrace the immensity of the countryside; my eyes follow the golden silk of the harvest season, my ears open to hear the rustling of the wind blowing through the rice stalks, my nostrils inhaling the faint scent of fresh straw…

The vibrant tapestry of nature along the road from city to countryside in the early days of summer intoxicates and excites my soul. Lost in the beauty of the land, sky, and vegetation, I overcome the obstacles of motion sickness, and the 50km journey seems infinitely shorter. These familiar, comforting shades of yellow, which we sometimes miss due to the demands of work, evoke a deep sense of nostalgia within each of us. Let's pause to breathe deeply, slowly observing the ever-changing world...

NGUYEN THI THU THUY

Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202505/sac-vang-nho-thuong-4006280/