Viet Phuong - the lonely traveler

Social activists, in a way, have faces that are difficult to fully identify. At certain points in history, they appear as they truly are, and then they may disappear or endure through time. A scholar, an intellectual, on the other hand, has a more recognizable face because they carry within them the social sensibilities and timeless aspirations of humanity.

Illustration: Dao Tuan.

The image of humanity has long been the central focus of Viet Phuong's poetry. He always extols humanity, the word "Human" capitalized, regardless of the perspective or time period. In the poetry collection "Open Door," published by the Literature Publishing House in 1970, there is a note in the poem "We Look at the Night Sky Tonight and We Read ," which reads: "The word 'human' is broken apart and put back together to form 'Place of Grief' ." Humanity in Viet Phuong's poetry is humanistic, transcending all boundaries that are formulaic and rational. Yet the images are very concrete, familiar, deeply rooted, without any illusion or fantasy.

He knew himself to be the essence of emptiness.

His muscles are strong and his blood is red.

The lofty aspiration for human liberation is a constant thread running through the philosophical framework of Viet Phuong's poetry.

The door has opened (*), continuing that flow. Through the ups and downs of experience, the philosophical thought becomes deeper and more humane. He always offers readers something new and different. It's not the kind of difference that rejects meaning or understanding in poetry, but rather a difference stemming from a worldview, a philosophy of life, a message: "Human ignorance is infinite/ The vast ocean, yet people only circle around the side of the ship/ Whatever humans create is still incomplete and shallow/ Only the works of gods or demons are excellent and well-structured" (Opening). He looks directly at the truth as if looking at the lines to understand the value of life: "Life deliberately makes itself ugly in every line " (Near). An observation, an awakening, a state of mind? It can be interpreted however one wants, whenever the poet's heart resonates with the human condition.

The boundless space of the universe is visible thanks to the light that illuminates it. But without humanity, the universe would be nothing but darkness, a silent mass. It is through human understanding that we comprehend the laws of the universe and perceive the transformations of nature.

There is a universe lying silently beneath our eyelids.

And:

There is a spring season for wiping like a handkerchief.

(Have)

It is both wise and romantic. The position of those two lines of poetry belongs to humanity. Only the human mind and heart can establish such a vast relationship. The ancients said: "A person with eyes and ears stands within heaven and earth ."

At any given time, Viet Phuong possesses a dialectical perspective, never blindly following trends or succumbing to negative influences. For thousands of years, humanity has endured tragedies, burdened by paradoxes. People have been deluded, or deluded themselves. Literature has always sought to warn, to help people recognize and escape these absurd contradictions. Therefore, the poet is a lonely traveler, alone, traversing the sandstorms of life to find the truth of existence, to discover the humanistic meaning of life. The loneliness in his poetry is not the loneliness of a solitary, bored individual, but the loneliness of a poetic path, of an individuality, a boundary of aesthetics that creates unique creativity.

He longed to cry, to laugh, to explode and shatter into pieces.

A lonely traveler in a swirling sandstorm.

The dinosaur idly listened to the surging tide.

The sky and sea at sunset were eerie and desolate.

He craved both reality and fantasy, a burning, blazing fire like a raging forest.

The nanny's breasts were round on her slender chest.

The moon hung low throughout the long, restless night.

A nameless star shines upon an uninhabited Earth.

(Leaf)

Perhaps it was the shared empathy for humanity and poetry expressed through the collection "Open Door ," a literary event in the early 1970s, that prompted General Võ Nguyên Giáp to dedicate a few verses to Việt Phương when he was already 60 years old. The serendipitous encounter of these two cultural souls is revealed in the subtle rhythm: "E a, ee a / Forever young, ee a, forever young, never growing old…aa / In these days of rice and firewood / We still have moments of great joy, great 'fun' / E a, ee, a…"

Reading Viet Phuong's poetry, we encounter gaps, abrupt breaks, sudden leaps, and imagery that is inherently profound, always placing the poem in an open state. Let's quote a complete poem as an example:

You are the one who torments me and the one I torment the most.

The last person I met on the road.

The universe is all alone.

Inviting cloud formations

Wandering

The Golden Abyss

When will it ever reach the bottom?

Burnt piece

The aroma of everyday rice

Hand

Roughly stroking the head and massaging the forehead.

Drop of light

From the darkness, a film of mud settles.

Breath

In the dark throat, cracks form in the mountain sky.

(Sing)

This could be considered a love poem, or it could not. The characters "you" and "I" in the opening lines are like two partners developing a series of seemingly unrelated images. Each line has its own position and tone, and the sounds and colors are not harmonious. Everything stems from a surreal idea, pieced together to create a "singing" voice (or perhaps not a singing voice). The overall imagery of the poem focuses on the concluding line. Something is rising intensely. The suppressed emotion bursts forth, leaving the reader immersed in its unique aftertaste. This open stance allows the poem's ideas to venture far and wide, in multiple directions. Not everyone recognizes and achieves this. For example, when one is free in a closed house for a long time, stepping outside without initiative leaves one bewildered, not knowing where to go or what to do. The poet must liberate themselves before society liberates. Only courage and self-reliance can produce a truly meaningful work of literature.

In 1970, Viet Phuong broke through barriers to sound the alarm. Nearly forty years later, he continues his journey on the path he has chosen. His poetry pushes to the very core of being with a very meditative sensibility: "I am high above, I gaze down at the sky / The sun shines back on you, radiant / Far below, layers of clouds open and close / The earth is the heart for the universe to shine upon" (Heart). A truly affectionate gaze: "Oh, love, how can one know what is enough? / Let no one ask and no one answer" (Silence), "Even at the horizon, it is still narrow / A sea rain is truly you" (Sand). These pairs of verses support each other, amplifying the meaning of the poetry.

How many paths has humanity trodden, glorious and dark, happy and painful, remembering and forgetting, forgetting and remembering, yet aspirations are only just beginning. Is poetry the origin of all origins?

A forest bird's hesitant, soft chirp.

Life calls to us with its silence.

In the echoes of silence, people awaken, become aware, and rise up.

_______

(*) Thanh Nien Publishing House, 2008

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-nghe-thai-nguyen/202507/viet-phuong-nguoi-lu-hanh-co-don-57c0a8c/