Yellow of love

May is slowly coming with the hot sun filtering through the branches and leaves. Along the way back to my hometown during the holidays, I can freely admire the yellow color of flowers and leaves in early summer. Passing through the streets along Hoang Sa - Vo Nguyen Giap route is the yellow color of sưa trees, the flowers are tiny but blooming so the yellow color is imprinted on the blue sky, stunningly beautiful. Walking under the rows of sưa trees in bloom, it is easy to think of the painting "golden autumn" by artist Levitan even though the sky and earth are in early summer. Sưa trees bloom three times a year and each time only lasts two to three days, but the color of the flowers always fascinates people.

The old lim xet trees on Son Tra peninsula are usually up to 10m tall on average, with wide canopies and densely blooming flowers. Photo: XUAN SON

Our car just passed by, in front of someone's house there was a royal poinciana tree blooming with smooth, bright yellow flowers, hanging in clusters like golden bells. Royal poinciana (also known as golden scorpion, golden osaka...) is so proud and teasing; standing near a low tree, your hand itches to "grab" a cluster right away to satisfy your flower addiction. If the Su flower has a slightly orange-yellow color, the yellow of royal poinciana is bright yellow, tender and full of vitality. The first time I saw this flower was 7 years ago when I went to Linh Ung Pagoda (Bai But, Son Tra Peninsula), my eyes met the sparkling flower clusters hanging on the tree, I could not contain my surprise. The royal poinciana petals spread a rare yellow color, interspersed with diamond-shaped flower buds that looked from afar like tiny lanterns with green hanging strings.

Somewhere, the yellow color gathers at the tip of the branches, looking from afar like funnels lying interspersed and brilliant in the green of the leaves. Golden bell (silver trumpet with golden flowers) is an ornamental plant originating from South America, grown in many provinces in the Central and Southern regions of our country. In terms of feng shui, this is a type of tree that symbolizes freshness, development and prosperity, so it is loved by many people and planted at gates, gardens or in school and office premises. Each cluster of flowers flutters in the wind and quickly drops each petal down to the porch like beautiful butterfly wings; strangely, every time the tree flowers, all the leaves fall off as if to save nutrients to nourish the flowers to be plump, round and golden.

On the roadside, the yellow oleander tree stands out, its leaves sharp like green pins. The yellow color of the oleander flowers also contributes to embellishing the multi-colored picture of nature. Unlike other yellow flowers that usually grow in clusters; oleander grows sparsely in the leaf axils, each flower is like a pretty yellow bell, a unique highlight among the dense green. Because the leaves and flowers of the oleander are poisonous, in contrast to the yellow flowers that are pampered and loved by people; oleander grows humbly on the roadside; even without being watered or fertilized, the tree still roots deep into the ground, inhaling the air to rise again at the appointed time, contributing to the earth and sky the rare yellow color of self-reliance and independence.

Along the streets I walked, the yellow color of lim xet (lim set, diep, muong kim phuong, phoenix vang) appeared faintly. The yellow petals blooming brightly against the green leaves, brightening up a corner of the street. Looking at this flower, I remembered the road to Son Tra peninsula; the section from Tien Sa port area up about 2km, was full of yellow lim xet.

Returning to the scent of the countryside, my nostalgia returns to the old days when I saw a patch of late-blooming mustard flowers standing alone in the middle of the green fields of chili, melon, beans, and corn. Every time the wind blew, the fragile mustard flowers fluttered, evoking so much uncertainty and regret; suddenly remembering the poem by Nghiem Thi Hang: "There was a season of mustard flowers/ Blooming yellow by the riverbank/ You were still a young girl/ Waiting for me, not yet married" (The Season of Mustard Flowers). Every season of mustard flowers that passed, I also grew old because of nostalgia... I remember that time, every late spring, my yard was full of yellow; the gentle, graceful yellow sea of ​​mustard flowers always attracted all eyes and countless words of admiration and praise. In the distance, on the beach along the river that babbled all year round, someone's fragrant squash trellis was blooming. The simple yellow color of the flowers, the genuine scent, alluring the bees. And following the familiar concrete road, my eyes spread out the yellow carpet of the countryside preparing for harvest. A promising yellow color of a bountiful harvest, prosperity...

In less than two weeks, the rice grains have changed from a light green color to a deep golden yellow; the rice stalks are heavy with heavenly pearls, bowing their heads in gratitude for the care of the farmers. Before the vastness of the rice fields, I feel like I am small again, memories of the days of working hard to cut the rice, the moonlit nights of threshing, and the sunny summer afternoons of drying the rice grains until they are crispy. Now, my senses are wide open to receive the vastness of the fields; my eyes follow the golden silk in the harvest season, my ears are wide open to hear the rustling sound of the wind blowing through each stalk of rice, my nostrils flare with the faint scent of new straw…

The palette of colors of nature along the route from the city to the countryside in the early days of summer makes my soul intoxicated and excited. Immersed in the land, sky, trees and grass, I seem to overcome the obstacles of motion sickness and the 50km journey seems many times closer. The familiar, close yellow colors that sometimes we miss because of being busy with work; but deep in each person's heart there are memories. Let's stop to take a deep breath, slowly watch the changing world...

NGUYEN THI THU THUY

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