I am not like you

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

Vietnam, I forgot where.

I am not like you

–

since you

can just leave

when you can no longer use me

–

as for me?

me?

–

me

how can I possibly leave

this body has been given to me

by my parents…

_____

tôi không thể như bạn

–

vì bạn

có thể rời bỏ tôi

khi đã hết vui

–

còn tôi?

tôi?

–

tôi

làm sao có thể từ bỏ

xác thân mẹ cha

đã ban tặng cho mình…

____

MAY 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.

By Lê Vĩnh Tài

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.

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