"Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland" - a collection of emotionally rich poems.

In the final days of 2025, as the whole country was bustling with preparations to welcome the new year 2026, poet Lu Mai released a collection of children's poems about the sea and islands titled "Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland," which was warmly received by many readers. The book was published and distributed jointly by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House and Thao Nguyen Culture and Communication Co., Ltd. - Carobooks.

With 86 pages, through the narrative, metaphorical, and whimsical verses of a 6-year-old girl named Hạt Dưa, born and raised in Trường Sa, the poetry collection "Tet in Trường Sa, My Homeland" is like a narrative poem, recreating the atmosphere of welcoming the New Year in the sea and islands of her homeland with all the colors, rhythms, and beauty of nature and people. There, ships bring spring from the mainland to the islands: "Spring ships bring gifts / Tiny peach blossoms / Tiny pink buds / Trembling in the salty wind / It seems the peach blossoms are seasick / Leaning against people's shoulders / The petals seem to want to say / Where are you, spring?" (Seasick Peach Blossoms). There, the image of the national flag proudly fluttering in the early spring morning amidst the scenery of sky, clouds, and leaves: " Early spring morning on the island / The national flag flies / The wind is like a painter / Painting the horizon red / The storm tilts its hand / The tempest straightens its back in greeting / Spring becomes even more abundant / Coconut trees sing with the sea breeze" (National Flag in Spring).

Throughout the poetry collection are scenes of joyful Tet (Lunar New Year) activities that are both familiar and intimate, yet full of unique flavors from the remote islands. There are stories of wrapping banh chung (traditional rice cakes), arranging the five-fruit platter, and celebrating Tet by the waves... Especially, through the poems, readers can feel the warm feelings of the soldiers and people in Truong Sa during Tet. These include reunion meals, visits, and wishes for peace and prosperity in the new year. The poems also convey messages from the author about love for the homeland, gratitude to the soldiers who are tirelessly guarding the seas and islands of the Fatherland, and the close, blood-bond between the islands and the mainland.

In terms of artistry, "Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland" is a collection of poems written for children, so most of the poems are in the four-word or five-word verse form, making them easy for children to read and remember. The rhythm in the poems is lively and playful. Some poems even feature humorous dialogues. For example, the poem "O An Quan on a Distant Island" : "Returning to O An Quan / Right on the smooth sandy ground / White pebbles arranged in rows / Coral as soldiers / A cute little puppy / Asks: 'Can I participate?' / Answers: 'Dog doesn't count. You can just watch! '"

Poet Lu Mai was born in 1988 in Thanh Hoa province and graduated from the Creative Writing - Journalism Department of Hanoi University of Culture (formerly Nguyen Du School of Creative Writing). Currently, she works at Nhan Dan Newspaper, is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association, and is the author of nearly 20 works in various genres, most notably the epic poems "Crossing the Dawn" (2020), "Chu Tan Kra White Clouds" (2021), "Resurrection" (2022)... "Tet in Truong Sa, My Homeland" is a collection of poems full of emotion, containing a message as she herself stated: "I hope readers can feel: To have a fulfilling Tet, there are those who silently stand guard in the spring."

HOANG VINH TRUNG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202512/tet-truong-sa-que-em-tap-tho-giau-cam-xuc-0b25a10/