A poem in English by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Translator: Vũ Hoàng Thư

Published in the August 2022 quarterly publication of Văn Nghệ Biển Khơi 94
giấu bên trong
tôi li ti
hồn mảnh vụn
người thấy gì ở tôi
–
như ván chen
lớp sơn tồi
ai sẽ bảo thánh thần tôi mặc áo
–
máu đặc quánh
tanh lợm chao
khô khốc
lẫn lời tiếng gào bạc phụ
–
mảnh đời tôi người tưởng từ
những vẹn toàn thanh khiết như nguyên khai
–
ngờ đâu bản mục tàn phai
—
Vũ Hoàng Thư phỏng dịch
____
in the dark
there are pieces
small pieces of me
no one sees
–
wedged between the floorboards
spattered upon the peeling paint
who said I was a saint?
–
the blood congealed
beyond rancid
dry
oh my
–
the pieces of me you see
bits of integrity
a fading ego
Vũ Hoàng Thư, born Võ Anh Tuấn 1949 in Hue, Vietnam. The poet and translator, head editor of bienkhoi.com currently live in Fountain Valley, California.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm, the blogger, poet, and translator, was born in 1971 in Phu Nhuan, Saigon, Vietnam. The pharmacist currently lives and works in Western Sydney, Australia.
Very interesting poem ✍️😇💙. Think you shine brilliantly in the dark 😁🤗
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heheh, thanks, I do glow in the dark like plankton 🙂
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Hahahaa yes, your illuminating plankton-power lights me up with smile as well 😆🤭. And you are very welcome — it’s always a pleasure 🥰
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Try and not break your face smiling yeah. :))
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I am not worried, you’re poems will fix it 😂😆
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awe.. cheers to that
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Cheers indeed 🍻🙌😆. Have a blessed day ❤
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