A poem in Vietnamese by Phạm Hiền Mây
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

mum mum I can not breathe
.
mid one life this appalling plead
be the next life indeed
.
born again no, not of this land
as feral birds not man
.
oblivious to poverty
wings wide forever free
.
(better than) a stream cut off by rotting trees
(a heart) in blinding waves of agony
.
forgive me please for letting go
I’m sorry mum
(just so)
.
(October 2019)
.
LỜI CUỐI…
.
con không thở được mẹ ơi
tiếng kêu bi thiết giữa đời trần ai
nếu còn thêm nữa kiếp mai
.
xin thôi đừng tiếp đầu thai chốn này
thà như muông thú chim bày
.
hồn nhiên no đói ăn mày trời không
tự do cánh sải mênh mông
.
hơn dòng lạc củi rêu sông nước tù
đớn đau lòng khói sóng mù
.
thứ tha con đứa buông phù thế rơi
con xin lỗi mẹ
mẹ ơi… .
Phạm Hiền Mây, the poet born in 1971 in Saigon, Vietnam. The prolific poet speaks, thinks, sleeps, and dreams in Kanji, Lục bát, six-eight syllables. Her poetry can be accessed through all platforms, including Facebook, Amazon, and local and international websites.
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.
i feel the pain and resignation of these words. not all of us can keep up the fight all the time. and sometimes, holding on just makes it more painful instead of letting go
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Yes and yes, letting go for me have lasted a lifetime.. If I may be the specimen of example, then I survived half of my life through denial. Trying to prove I am worthy of living. Letting go for me is still not an easy task. Thank you for your empathy my friend. Happy and peaceful day to you. 🥰
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i totally understand. enjoy the day! 🙂
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❤
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