Sacred mother's love in the poetry of teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai

Author of the poetry collection, teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai (in red ao dai) and delegates attending the event.

The launching ceremony of the poetry collection “Mom, I Miss You” by teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai took place in Hanoi, in a warm and emotional atmosphere. The event was attended by many artists, intellectuals and poetry lovers, including: Dr. Tran Chien Thang, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vice President of the Vietnam Record Holders Association; Dr. Dang Thi Bich Lien, President of the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association; Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Tru, President of the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association; People's Artist Trinh Thuy Mui, President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association; along with many writers, poets, artists and the public.

Teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai was born in 1962, from Ninh Binh, and has published the poetry collections “Heavy with Love” (2011) and “Listening to Sighs at Night” (2012). As someone who has been involved in the education sector for many years, writing poetry and literature is not only a hobby for her, but also a place to express her feelings, a way to preserve and spread sacred spiritual values in life.

The collection of poems “Mom, I miss you” published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, includes 30 works, composed by the author during the time when his mother was seriously ill and completed after her death. These are verses distilled from memories, tears and infinite gratitude: “ Mom, I miss you so much/The fragrant incense contains so many things I say/The lullabies you sang in the past/Follow me through the sun and rain, joy and sadness ...”.

Exhibition of calligraphy works of plum blossoms adapted from poetry collections.

Those gentle lines of poetry are not elaborate in form but linger because of sincerity. As poet Nguyen Thi Hong Ngát shared at the launch: “Everyone has a mother who gave birth to them, but not everyone misses and loves their mother so much. Reading every poem makes me feel moved, I see a steadfast heart that never stops missing my mother.” Ms. Hong Ngát also expressed her admiration for the author who invited calligraphers to create 93 calligraphy paintings from her poems - symbolizing the 93 years of her late mother. Those paintings are not only proof of infinite love, but also a bridge between poetry, painting and filial piety.

Poet Phan Thi Thanh Nhan, famous for her poems about love and women, emotionally shared: “This is the first time I have held in my hands a book of poems written entirely about mothers, and by an amateur. I am truly impressed. The words in it are simple but profound, full of gratitude.” She chose to read a poem about her mother-in-law, a rare but delicate perspective: “ My mother did not give birth to me/But my heart thinks of me as a drop of fragrance …”.

Not only talking about her birth mother, Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai also extends the scope of that love to the mothers in her life - mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother of many people. Each poem is like a stick of incense, lighting up filial piety in everyday life.

Author Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai shares and interacts with readers at the event.

Introducing the collection of poems to readers, she said emotionally: “My mother gave birth to 12 children. She loved her children and grandchildren endlessly and knew many poems from “ The Tale of Kieu” . I grew up with the verses of Kieu my mother read, with her tolerant heart. During the more than 10 years since my mother left this world, in the most difficult and saddest times, my feelings for my mother became my strength. I write poems to keep my mother in my heart, to be able to talk to her...”.

At the event, 93 calligraphy paintings on the theme of mother were exhibited, most of which were adapted from poems in the collection “Mom, I miss you”. With this unique creation, the Vietnam Record Organization officially awarded a record certificate to teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai with the title: “The collection of poems with the most excerpts on the theme of mother adapted into calligraphy paintings of apricot blossoms in Vietnam” .

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Vice President of the Vietnam Ao Dai Culture Association, said: In 2026, the author's poetry-calligraphy works depicting apricot blossoms will be displayed at the exhibition on "Mother's Day", as a tribute to Vietnamese women.

Vietnam Record Organization awarded teacher Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai the Vietnam Record Holder Certificate.

Although not a professional writer, with this collection of poems, author Hoang Thi Ngoc Mai has shown the power of a heart that knows how to love and remember. Her words contain a gentle, pure beauty, making readers feel moved and find themselves in them - a child who, no matter how old, never stops missing her mother.

The poetry collection “Mom, I Miss You” is like a mai flower blooming in the autumn of Hanoi, simple, rustic but with a lasting fragrance. It is a gentle but profound reminder that: amidst the hustle and bustle of today’s life, we should not forget that there is always a place to return to, a call to love - a sacred call: “Mom…”.

MY HANH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thieng-lieng-tinh-me-trong-tho-nha-giao-hoang-thi-ngoc-mai-post915009.html