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

“Dad, where does poetry come from
it’s all been done what’s there left to do”
–
But the poet continues to compose poetry:
–
the sky is like a mirror
broke, as she, with her hand
reach out and grab a hold
of you
–
you hang
there, upon yourself see the scars of time
—
November 2021
–
“Ba ơi thơ có từ lâu
người ta làm hết còn đâu Ba làm” (thơ của con gái)
–
Nhưng rồi thi sĩ vẫn làm thơ:
–
bầu trời như tấm kính
vỡ, khi nàng với tay
ra và nắm
lấy bạn
–
bạn treo
ở đó, nhìn mình đầy vết sẹo thời gian
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.