A poem in English by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Translator: Lê Vĩnh Tài
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

những vết thương không chảy máu trong thơ
———-
.
những vết thương làm bài thơ
lãnh thẹo
vết sẹo tươi đến mức làm nhà thơ
kinh ngạc
.
bài thơ chỉ lo khóc lóc
.
thơ
nó bị mắc kẹt đâu đó trong vết thương
giữa các sợi huyết tương
bạch cầu hay huyết khối
hemoglobin lo mang thơ vào trái tim
cho nhà thơ lim dim ngồi im
thở…
.
nhà thơ luôn là một kẻ ngốc
thổn thức
quên mất vết thương của thơ
đang lên da non hoàn hảo …
.
_____
THE FLAWS IN POETRY
.
The flaws, imperfections
Scattering raw scars
Me in awe, a witness
__Poetry’s weeping
.
Stuck, somewhere between the molecules
Fibres of oozing plasma, white blood cells
Haemoglobins carried Poetry into my heart
I’m a sobbing fool
.
Ah,
Perfection…
—
March 2020
Lê Vĩnh Tài, the poet and translator born in 1966 in Buon Ma Thuot, Daklak, Vietnam. The retired doctor is still a resident of the Western Highlands and a businessman in Buon Ma Thuot.
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.
There may be flaws in poetry but there is no “mistake” in my heart about you 🤣😁
I hope you’re good my friend 🙌🙌😆🌹
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Hahhah, cute, in Vietnamese is what you called “thả thính”, throwing bait into the water and see if the fishes will bite. I’m great, I hope you are sane and well. 🙂
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LOL I am glad that’s why you think about it 🙌💙🤣🥰. And thank you for your adored lesson in Vietnamese proverb haha.
I will definitely keep that in mind and I am doing very well 🤩🤩. I can only hope to keep up with 2023, it’s already the 3rd of March 👍😂
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you are adorable yeah, have a happy March 4th 2023 ❤
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Awww thank you 🌹🤭☺️. It means alot coming from you ❤️😆
Happy 🎉March 4th🎉 too 🤟😆
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Trâm what a beautiful piece. Also, what a lovely photo of you such a beautiful woman. Thank you for all the work that you do translating and introducing poets, and art that we would never otherwise get a chance to see. Blessings, prayers and love going towards you, and all of your loved ones and poetica friends.
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Thank you Joni, love you. xx
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