Top 14 Beautiful Poems by Poet Phan Thu Hà

DREAMING OF HANOI'S WINTER

By Phan Thu Hà

This morning, I hear the winds shifting

Knowing that the winter has just begun outside

Suddenly, I crave the gentle drifting

Fog wraps the Red River in a cloud of haze.

The stove crackles along the narrow lane

Only the smell of roasted corn intoxicates the soul

The streets at night are sparse with laughter

The small shop sways, echoing the nighttime call.

The moon glows, casting shadows before the doorstep

West Lake's willow bends gently in the mist

Hand in hand, we walk the streets

Passing by the old neighborhoods of the past.

.....

The longing I pour into this poem

How I yearn...to return...when...oh, winter!

THE KISS

By Phan Thu Hà

(written on International 'Kiss' Day)

There are kisses that burn with passion

Like the kiss of the sun

That awakens all of nature from its slumber

And makes flowers bloom with joy.

There are kisses gentle and soft

Like the breeze of springtime

That whispers to the grass to gently stir

And brings the world a lush, green spring.

There are kisses full of tenderness

Like the mother’s kiss upon her child’s cheek

Warm and loving, filled with a mother’s heart

Hoping for her child to step forward with strength.

And then there are kisses fated by love

The kiss between lovers, shared with one another

Whether sweet or bitter

It speaks of everything the heart desires.

But there is only one kiss

The first kiss of true love

That can never be forgotten

And remains cherished in the heart for years to come.

THOUGHTS BY THE STONE STATUE

By Phan Thu Hà

Adults love, then argue and fight

Turning love into a burden of guilt

You are left as a lonely child

Weary by the mountain’s sloping side.

Mother’s feet are not tired, nor her legs sore

Yet how could you return home?

Abandoned in the midst of wind and rain

Silently, the child waits for their father.

The father is lost far away in a strange land

The mother, with sorrow in her heart

And the child’s fate turns to stone

Watching the years pass, eyes on the distant sea.

How many other children are there

Lost, suffering from their own burdens?

Though life has not turned to stone

It is like fragile dust, easily scattered.

We all eventually become parents

Come visit the Stone Statue

To hear it tell of the sorrow

That remains forever... throughout the ages.

MY HOMELAND IN CÀ MAU

By Phan Thu Hà

My homeland is far away

At the tip of Cà Mau’s land

Where U Minh forest spreads wide

With lush green mangrove forests all around.

It is here, at the edge of the nation

Where the footsteps of our ancestors began

Where blood was shed on this very soil

And the alluvial mud nurtured our home.

My homeland is where the sky meets the sea

Where the peaceful Tam Giang stretches out

The mighty waves crash at Sông Đốc

The winds blow over Năm Căn, clouds above.

One day, come visit the Land’s Tip

You’ll love the shape of the boat more

And grow fonder of the golden history of our land

From ancient times, standing proud and strong.

Love the Khoai, Đá Bạc islands

Thới Bình, Ngọc Hiển, Tân Hưng

Trần Văn Thời - a historical place

Where our ancestors once fought valiantly.

Come back to my homeland with me

And the strings of our hearts will forever resonate

Listen to the melody of "Hoài Lang Dạ Cổ"

Feeling the warmth of love, spiced with salt and ginger.

Celebrate together with a strong drink

The aroma of dried fish and sweet potatoes filling the air

Listen to the tales of Uncle Ba Phi

While the moonlight shines over Gành Hào.

I hope for my homeland to grow richer and more beautiful

Day by day, changing with time

Deserving its name of "golden forest, silver sea"

Cà Mau - dearly beloved homeland.

LULLABY FOR MY CHILD

By Phan Thu Hà

The long night hums softly, a lullaby

"Hush now, my dear, sleep... autumn’s night has arrived"

I watch you drift in my arms

Wrapped in the scent of rice cakes, as the wind brings a chill.

Rest now, my dear, sleep peacefully

The war and separations have passed

I sit and sing a lullaby

Whispering songs that sow the seeds of golden grains.

Sleep, my child, sleep sweetly

The fields are fragrant with ripe rice, and the storks fly high

The river reflects the boat’s shadow

Gently echoing the sweet tunes of our homeland.

Silently gathering all the love

I treasure one simple dream for you

To lull you to a full and peaceful sleep

As the kite lifts you into a life of hope.

When you grow up and become wise

I hope you carry with you the words I sing to you.

THE SOUND OF SPRING

By Phan Thu Hà

I hear the wind changing seasons

Bringing with it a strange rain

The grass stirs, giving birth

And the sun warms the earth, turning green.

I hear someone's laughter

And know that spring is arriving

The land breathes new life

Filling the air with the sweet scent of rice.

I hear the waves whispering

Countless untold stories

"A small spring, so small"

Softly blooming on the palm of my hand.

I hear the intoxicating fragrance

On your cheek, just turning rosy

The warmth of the first light

Bringing the sun to life in my heart.

I hear in the silence

Something like a feeling of longing

The first spring flower just bloomed

Whispering the words of love.

THE MOON

By Phan Thu Hà

I go to the moonlit sea, where love’s song flows late

The longing heart follows the moon’s fading trail

I ponder the moon goddess and the jade hare

Do they feel lonely, drifting alone in the vast sky?

Lost in my dreams amidst the illusions of humanity

Each dream thirsts for the light of the moon

Stepping through tumultuous seas and shifting waves

I keep a piece of eternal light in my heart.

Forever following the moon, back to the days gone by

Collecting the joys and sorrows, the lunar eclipses of the years

A dreamlike trance follows the drifting winds and clouds

The crescent moon turns full, revealing the emptiness inside.

Why chase the revolving illusions?

Do we seek the moon, or does the moon seek us?

Let go of the regrets for the half moon

So a full moon may shine brightly across distant lands.

A GIFT FOR HALF THE WORLD

By Phan Thu Hà

Who created man?

Such an odd creation

At times wise and profound

At others, strangely naive.

At times, a blazing sun

At others, a heavy rain

At times, the warmth of summer’s sun

At others, the chilling winds of winter.

Once as vast as the sky

Then as fierce as a stormy sea

Mad with passion, like a fever

Then cold as a frozen heart.

Who created man

Bringing anger and longing

So that when he’s gone

The earth remains incomplete, missing one half.

THE SORROWFUL MELODIES

By Phan Thu Hà

(Dedicated to my father, a son of the southern lands)

Before I could speak the promise

The boat had already sailed away

Leaving behind a sad verse

And lives left in unfinished sorrow.

Why did the sea turn this way?

The southern lands ache with sorrowful tunes

The water hyacinths drift aimlessly

"The flute won't return... it flies away."

Does the wanderer still remember the old heart?

Who will love like the Phoenix?

To let the moonlight of “Ganh Hao” be lonely

And the cold rocks stand silent and alone.

Will anyone return to the land of the cape?

To smell the salty sea and fertile soil?

Will they return to the breezy Năm Căn?

Hearing the echo of waves on the homeland shores?

Regretfully remembering youthful days

Roasted sweet potatoes and boiled cassava so fragrant

Sharing sweet and bitter moments of hunger and fullness

With warmth in a thatched roof.

Remembering those nights full of longing

Whispering the words of “Autumn Wind”

The one who has left, gone forever

Leaving behind the sorrowful melody of a lullaby.

SPRING REFLECTIONS

By Phan Thu Hà

On the old doorstep, the traces of footsteps fading away

The passage of time seems as white as a reed flag

A drop of coffee – a drop of life falling softly

The whispers of ancestors speaking to the future.

The grassy path smooth, with silk-like garments swaying

Steps pause, shy, like the pose of a blooming flower

Such is the illusion – oh Spring, don’t rush

Over there, in the sky, mist and smoke hide the way.

Leaned over, the strands of hair, a gentle chord just echoing

The melody rising and falling, brushing the shoulders

Is it the green of the leaves, or the eyes of the sun?

My soul warmed, gently caressed by the grace of a gentle figure.

The old year ends, and I lull myself into new dreams

Age, still touched by the mist, dreams of the otherworldly

A pretty poem raises the kite, soaring high

The colors of the rainbow, elusive amidst the vastness.

I meet myself in the strange familiarity of an old figure

Spring dreams as my feet walk closer to someone

Who just cried when the season turned cold?

And felt the bitter heart as tears fell down.

Yes, Spring has come, just as it always has

Bringing flowers to bloom in harmony with the heavens and earth

I wander through the streets, retracing memories

And find myself, just beginning my twenties.

A RURAL LAND
By Phan Thu Hà

There was a day long ago
That still remains vivid in my mind
It was the time of evacuation
Where I always call... my homeland.

The fields are lush, green with rice
The dike slopes are covered with fragrant sweet grass
The herd of buffaloes follows each other to the fields
Heavy footsteps echo along the path.

The river is as gentle as a silk ribbon
The bamboo grove bends as if bowing
The bamboo bridge across the ditch sways
As people walk gingerly, balancing themselves.

The village pond is a deep blue with purple flowers
Mother returns, carrying water with a curved back
The banana bunches are ripened on the tree
And the kitchen exudes a fragrant, warm smoke.

Joyful moments of the new rice season
Crabs, eggplants, and shrimp stir-fried together
The jar of pickled cucumbers grandmother just made
The fragrant straw scattered along the village road.

On the full moon night, the light of the moon is bright
The children play in the village yard
The sounds of laughter echo faintly
As the water is drawn from the well in rhythm.

A time filled with countless memories
The village immersed in human warmth
Still, in my heart, the longing remains
Even to this day, it hasn't faded away.

Phan Thu Hà - 25/8/2018

THE ROAD OF MEMORIES

By Phan Thu Hà

(In memory of Phan Dinh Phung Street, where my childhood was spent)

There is a road that we once walked

With green guava trees, each leaf a shade

The sound of cicadas echoing in the summer

Marking the path to school with every step.

Years have passed, yet the memories linger

Each house number, each corner of the street

The old gate, weathered with moss and cracks

The sound of the bell ringing, echoing through the long street.

There is a road that leads past someone's house

Where mischievous glances still remain

A youthful love once carried in school bags

Years may pass, but it never fades away.

When will I return to those old days?

With the road that holds all my memories

I always feel a flutter in my heart at every purple sunset

The beat of my heart is forever marked by it.

I suddenly hear my heart calling: Old friend

Who remains, who has gone among old friends?

Do you remember the most beautiful road

That will follow me throughout my life?

Mother

By Phan Thu Hà

To me, mother is the breath of life

As natural as the air of the sky

The first word I called out
Sweetly saying, 'Mother'.

To me, mother is the ray of sunlight

That makes the flowers bloom on every branch

She is the tree that preserves the sap
And nurtures the tender green sprouts.

Mother is the cool stream of water

Singing to me a lullaby on summer days

Mother is a bunch of red phoenix flowers
Filling the air with the sound of cicadas.

Mother is the warmth of home

When the winds howl and the rain falls cold

Mother is the bright red glow of the fire
That keeps me warm on winter afternoons.

To me, Mother is everything

She has helped me grow and become who I am

In my heart, her love always beats

Whispering softly 'Mother'!

The Simple Things

By Phan Thu Hà

Please don't be the sea

With waves that are cold and indifferent

Let me remain as the shore

Silent for all my days.

Please don't be the clouds

How could I ever reach you?

For eternity, the white clouds drift

Who knows when they will stop?

Please don't be the wind

Whispering softly by my side

But one day, when the storm arrives

The wind will harshly blow away.

Please don't be the sun

So when the daylight fades

The sun travels to a distant land

And I am left alone, adrift.

Just be you, please

Simple and ordinary, nothing more

But let your love be sincere

And with me for all time.

16/8/2013