1. Poem: YOU OWE ME.
YOU OWE ME.
You owe me
A promise to walk with me until the end of the road
You owe me an embrace on cold, lonely nights
You owe me a hasty kiss
You owe me the struggles we went through
Love me.
You owe me your fragility
You owe me the days spent beside you in happiness
You owe me the hardships
You owe me the protection and care.
You owe me your waiting
You owe me the passionate moments of our youth
You owe me a strong embrace
You owe me shared dinners and splitting household tasks.
You owe me the years that passed together
You owe me your mother’s love, your father’s worry
You owe me the nights spent teaching our child to study
You owe me the mornings of taking our child to school
You owe me the hardships of being a husband.
What else do you owe me?
Ha Nguyen.

2. Poem: WRITE - DON'T WRITE.
WRITE - DON'T WRITE.
Write, my dear.
To express your feelings
The reflections on the busy life we lead
On what we gain and lose, what we win and lose.
On the sweet and bitter experiences you’ve had
On the long-gone days - the first steps we took.
What will you write?
About the love we once had
About the enchanting intoxication
About the meaning of life itself
About the struggles and challenges we face
The competition, the battles for what's right and wrong...
About the aching heart of a mother longing for her child
The tireless waiting of a wife who feels like stone
About the tough days full of hardship
About the innocent eyes of children in a poor neighborhood
Empty stomachs still dreaming of brighter skies
Late nights spent studying
Saving for the future...
Write about tomorrow
About the desires and hopes for a better world
Even though life is still full of struggles
Always
Knowing how to filter the bad from the good
And wishing for more...
Write with optimism in a naked world
Finding joy to rise above sorrow...
But don’t write anymore, my dear
Don’t sell your sadness to the world
Let go of your heart with your friends
Don’t push yourself to the limits of loneliness
Let go of the anger towards humanity
Forget the ever-changing storms of life...
Don’t be angry
Don’t be over-sensitive, don’t complicate things
Don’t dwell on love and hate
Forget the chaos of life, tired and seeking peace - life’s fate is in its hands.
In restless sleep
Write or not write???
Ha Nguyen.

3. Poem: THE LIM FESTIVAL MEETING.
THE PROMISE WITH LIM FESTIVAL.
"Do not return tonight
Folk songs of innocent love"
A sweet melody on the day of the festival
Hesitatingly pulling the traveler, staying or going.
Remember the vow from last year's festival
A spring night by the river, the boat drifting
Gentle voices, naive and tender
Melodious notes echoing across the water, the boat's edge
The vow, will you forget or remember?
We meet, but you stay and don't go
Do not let each other miss the bloom of spring
Do not let sorrow and silent tears take over.
On Lim Hill, the light rain falls
Raindrops pattering softly on the bamboo
Looking for someone with eyes that flutter
The past is gone, the wind blows through the old place.
In the quiet night, someone reminds me
It was promised, will you return?
Waiting for news from the distant mountains
Do not leave me in silence, breaking my heart.
Who said waiting brings happiness?
Waiting for someone tears apart the soul
The sky clears, the clouds part
Returning to the festival, with flowers glowing under the golden moon....
The Lim Festival, our promise!
Ha Nguyen.

4. Poem: WHY DON'T YOU COME BACK?
WHY DON'T YOU COME BACK?
Sister is angry, do you know?
You promised to return in spring to visit me
But now spring has passed, and you're far away
Breaking your promise, just words on your lips.
Sister is angry, but it's only with myself
You are busy with the sails chasing the wind
Plum, peach, and roses, which garden opens its doors?
All gardens are full of fragrance and color.
You wander to the end of the road
Forgetting your promise to return and visit me
Have you ever gotten tired and stopped?
Will you return to me - to your homeland?
Sister is angry now, no longer needing your love
Does it feel normal without you at home?
Sister laughs and cries with life's ups and downs
All the joys and sorrows are hidden, do you feel it?
Sister is angry, especially when longing
The return seems too hard to achieve
Memories damp with time, drying in the wind
Every fragrance fades away with time.
Sister is angry because she knows that tomorrow
Your steps will still wander
Only wishing for your return, not anyone else
To sing together this spring.
Come back, don't stay away forever...!
Home is not just any place
When everything is traded for a price
Anger and life’s turmoil are nothing new.
Come back, sister is no longer angry.
Ha Nguyen.

5. Poem: REMINISCENCE OF MARCH.
REMINISCENCE OF MARCH.
In March
The red blossoms of the gaharu tree bloom in the sky
In March
People have already left, nowhere to be found
Remembering July, the rainy season
Waiting in vain by the door, the storm tearing everything apart
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl of old
Every year, they still have a season to reunite.
In March
We bury the sorrow deep
Picking the gaharu flowers
Sewing the sadness in the fabric
Bringing back memories of days gone by
Drying the old days with threads of time.
Sadness falls in soft drops
Shared or alone, a tangled heart in pain.
March, oh March!
Wanting to cross the river but there's no bridge
Wanting to return to my mother, to hear words of kindness.
Wanting to gather gaharu flowers in the courtyard
Wanting to tilt my conical hat, my gaze sparkling.
Wanting to feel my heartbeat
Wanting to stand in the rain, fulfilling my old desires.
Waiting for the one who comes and the one who goes
March, I still wait
Alone, morning to night...
Where is the smile, the beautiful smile?
The sunset falls, leaving a love that is orphaned.
March of old, filled with sweet laughter
March today, tired lips curling in weariness.
I go to the rice fields to plant sweet potatoes
Startled by the sound of someone calling my name.
In March, sipping wine, remembering love...!
Poem by Ha Nguyen.

6. Poem: WRITTEN FOR THOSE FAR AWAY.
WRITTEN FOR THOSE FAR AWAY.
People say
Valentine
Is a day that symbolizes beautiful love
And wishes
For happiness and eternity
Couples exchange sweet candies
To balance the bitterness and sourness
Throughout the year.
Isn’t it true, my love?
Can there really be such a magical day?
I can’t make it in time for you
On Valentine’s Day.
I’ve never blamed life for being unfair
That keeps us apart...
We balance life not just with sweet candies
But with the bitter taste of sweat and hard work.
Fighting life together
To have more sweet days like this
Loving each other through the ups and downs
So there’s no chocolate for Valentine’s Day
But we remain devoted and remember each other.
Where is life headed?
When there’s no color in our feelings
But without empathy and true love
Could there be a happy love, my love?
I know there are times when you feel lonely and yearning
For my embrace and a kiss on Valentine’s Day
A simple wish that I just couldn’t
Bring to you in time.
.....!
Ha Nguyen.

7. Poem: A LOVERS' FATE.
THE FATE OF A LOVER.
"I blindly blindfold myself to love you,"
I tear my heart apart
Exposing my innermost self
I sacrifice my life
Betting it all on love.
"I blindly blindfold myself to love you,"
I transform myself into a foolish lover
Building castles of love
On a clumsy, careless relationship.
I
Naively believed in forever promises
Drunk in the intoxication of desire
Forgetting the pain of life’s misery
The fate of a lover.
I blindly use my mind without thinking of the cost
I turn myself into a moth to the flame – you – willingly
I give myself away – who can I blame?
I hold onto dreams of a future
You welcoming me home
So I
Forget the shame – lost in the eternal dream
Of
The lover's fate.
In the intoxication of love
I deactivate my mind – to let my heart think
The heart always remains the same – confused.
I never realized
You were the one
Using love as a commodity to sell
Human affection.
I wander lost in life
Clinging to excuses
Blaming myself for loving you.
Now, the grapefruit blooms in the lemon grove
Feeling regret....!
Ha Nguyen

8. Poem: PEACE.
PEACE.
If life were only shades of pink
If every road was flat and straight
If the sky was always clear
If this world was devoid of rainstorms
Would we still sing the song of happiness forever?
If the water were always clear and pure
Where would the river’s banks come from?
Everyone longs for deep love
But hearts are shallow like hastily folded betel leaves...
If everywhere you look, you see lies and deceit
"Quick fixes"
In life’s stage, the actors play their roles too well
Better than professional actors
Where can we cling to, to continue believing in love?
Until the end of the day
In life, who’s wise and who’s foolish?
If everyone wants to take more than their share
Who will be left with nothing?
If everyone feels exhausted
Who will carry the burdens of the world?
Then, I’ll bear the burden of many things
Not out of necessity but because I can’t ignore it
What do we know of reincarnation?
So in this life, I carry both sunshine and rain.
(No need to wait for another life)
In this life
I
Carry the bitter, sour end of the fierce summer heat
Carry the awkward, inexperienced love
Carry the road with twists and turns
Carry the fatigue, the restless dreams.
Life is not just made of sweet verses
That roll with the passing of days
Life
Is built from sweet, bitter, sour, salty, joy, and sorrow...
It’s these ups and downs of life
That teach us how to cherish love
From the simplest things.
Teach us to appreciate peace
Teach us to remember and forget
To cherish what we have
To forgive and let go
To find happiness hidden deep within sadness
To hide tears of jealousy and anger
To wait and to hope...
Waiting for the new day to bring peace!
Ha Nguyen.

9. Poem: FALL.
FALL.
I let spring slip away
On a day at the start of summer
Let the leaves fall too soon
Before autumn had even come.
I let haste slip away
On a day of forgotten memories
Tears blurred the page
Startled by the moment of waking - drunk with emotions.
I let the days slip away
Frantically searching for answers
Igniting a thirst
As the winter winds began to blow.
I received the yellow leaf
Thinking autumn was still here.
Believing that the mustard flowers
Would forever stay with time.
I let the tardiness slip away
In a hasty promise
Let the lies slip away
From the tongue's end to the lips.
Let a smile slip away
When trust was already lost
Let sweet words slip away
After the truth of life revealed itself.
Let a person slip away
Along with love, drifting far
Leaving behind a heart in pain
Leaving a sad love story...
Let all love slip away
What do I have left?
Ha Nguyên.

10. Poem: GATHER.
GATHER.
I gather back my childhood
Through the laughter of children
I gather the lullabies of my mother
Fostering a heart full of compassion.
I gather a bit of winter sunshine
Igniting it into a flame
I gather the promises once made
Building them into trust.
I gather gentle glances
To build castles of love
I gather the days of wandering
Turning them into life lessons.
I gather the last rays of sunlight
To warm the winter day
I gather the songs you sing
From "First Spring".
I gather the emotions of the heart
From the smallest things
I gather the peace of daily life
Amid the storms of life.
I gather the aching memories
I gather the lingering sorrow
The one thing that lasts forever
Is love and care!
Ha Nguyen.

11. Poem: TOUCH.
TOUCH.
"A gentle touch on the eyes
A soft brush on the lips"
You touched my heart
One stormy afternoon.
You touched the lies
When lost in ecstasy
You touched the vows
With another woman.
You touched the moment
When the heart was fragile
Touched by loneliness
As the soul wandered astray.
You touched betrayal
After a moment of weakness
Unable to touch the depth of the heart
With love in harmony.
When will you understand?
The touches in life
After fleeting moments
Where is true love?
And you lost
The chance to touch my heart....!
Ha Nguyen

12. Poem: HAPPINESS.
HAPPINESS.
What is happiness?
We search for an answer
Struggling for so long, yet finding none
Until the day someone leaves forever...
Then we realize
Happiness is simple and humble
It's the smile of a child in a dream
It's the verse someone wrote for us
On a pale autumn afternoon
The one who left...
Happiness is the cold winter days
When a mother holds her child close
The sweat-drenched brow
Rushing through summer nights of struggle.
Happiness is every dawn
When we wake up
And find our loved ones there
Safe and sound.
Happiness is the moments we let our soul wander
Returning to cherished memories
The childhood that once was full and fleeting...
Happiness is those days
When we're together
Sharing a meal
Or when we foolishly let anger rise....
Happiness is woven
From the small, simple things
In the arms of our parents,
I search for happiness, but it's not far away...
Ha Nguyen

13. Poem: WINTER'S LONGING.
WINTER'S LONGING.
My dear!
Is there such a longing called winter?
It creeps into my heart on sunless days
The cold fills the
empty room
Why haven’t you come back?
Each 24-hour day stretches endlessly
As you wander off, far beyond the horizon
Without you
Spring stands still
Unable to change the season.
It seems
You’ve forgotten your promise to return
Forgot the rainy day when I walked alone
Forgot the quiet evening meals
Where I served myself...
And I helped myself.
Some emotions can't be named
There are personal feelings I need you to share
I am a woman
And I can’t always be strong
Fighting winter all alone.
Is there a longing called: I miss you!
Ha Nguyen

14. Poem: SEASONS THAT PASS.
SEASONS THAT PASS.
Who has lived through the seasons of flowers?
Through the summer heat
The rainy days
The storms.
Who has lived through the sweet season
And the bitter one
The season of pain...
Who has lived through
Seasons without each other
Neither sad nor joyful
No tears
No promises
The silent season...
The season of forgetting!
Who has lived through the seasons that can't be named
Only a quiet heart listening to the whispers of the night
Loneliness to the fullest
Through all the turmoil...
Who has lived through such seasons
Only to know
When the spring wind comes
You must
Open the door and welcome
The season of peace!
Ha Nguyen

15. Poem: THE FEBRUARY DATE I MISSED.
THE FEBRUARY DELAY.
Alas, I must delay my meeting with February.
The delay to greet you at the end of the mustard flower season.
The delay of youth, a time of youthful folly.
The delay in meeting myself, as I wander in dreams of the past.
Alas, I must delay my meeting with February.
The delay in the afternoon rain, once a memory.
The delay in keeping promises made:
"I will return when February comes:
You, in festive dress,
We will go together to the fair".
Alas, I must delay my meeting with February.
The delay of the plum branch in a garden full of morning mist.
The delay of my heart and a late promise.
The delay in sweet words of love, that never came to pass.
I delayed not taking you through the Mường village.
My love was shared in every song sung.
I delayed not dancing to the tune together.
Instead, my heart is lost in its melody.
I delayed as the February sun painted the earth with gold.
Still wandering, lost in the bustle of life.
The delay in returning,
to raise a glass of wine,
Drunken in its strength.
The month of February weakens...
When will I stop delaying?
Ha Nguyen

16. Poem: A FAREWELL TO YOU
A FAREWELL TO YOU
We met when our hair had begun to turn, touched by the sun.
It wasn't the days of youth, when I was naive.
I let my soul wander, lost in a rainy night.
Love holds no blame.
"I will love you until eternity".
That vow, now hidden deep within memories.
The ache echoes back.
It's a restless night...
Don't blame each other.
Where are we headed, in the end?
At the universe's edge,
only love remains, though not enough.
Surpassing all worldly matters.
Don't torment yourself.
What we lost, let it be gone forever.
.......
Even if
The past no longer shines in green.
Still, my heart, when it remembers you,
holds on to that hue.
It's just that my heart longs...
As the hair turns gray.
No love ends without pain.
No one who loved has not wished to meet again.
But, my dear,
We are no longer forever.
If we happen to meet in the midday rain,
Or in the twilight's harsh sun.
But please, don't look back.
I will lull the past to sleep.
It will rest in peace.
Ha Nguyen.

17. Poem: COME BACK, PLEASE...!
COME BACK, PLEASE...!
Come back, my love!
Half a life spent drifting away.
Come back to me,
We will share meals together,
You won't have to wait anxiously every day
For a call or message from me to ease your heart.
Come back, my love!
We will have each other through thick and thin,
What more could I ask for?
I just want to be there for you when you're sick.
I won't wake up suddenly in the middle of the night,
Wondering if someone is calling my name.
It will only be the sound of the wind in the silence...
Come back, my love!
Our hair has lost its youthful sheen, no more waiting.
All those reckless years apart.
Just come back, my love.
"Why wander and tire this life so much?"
Who once sang this tune?
I don't want to hum it every day.
Just come back, my love!
Every morning when I wake up
I want you by my side,
My heart full of happiness.
Come back, my love!

18. Poem: I RETURN TO MY MOTHER.
I RETURN TO MY MOTHER.
Tonight, I return to my mother
To bury my heart in her hands
And listen to stories of the old days...
Back then, I was so innocent...
I would watch dragonflies flutter, thinking
They could carry dreams all the way to the sky.
I would call out, "Dragonfly, go with me..."!
I grew up
Through the endless rainy days and biting winds
Dreams shattering under the hills...
I stepped into life, tasting both sweet and bitter
Tears dampened my lips, salt on my skin
As I watched the dragonflies hover in the sunlight
Pitying the fate of mankind,
And I called again, "Dragonfly, go with me..."
The dragonflies rushed,
And answered, "How can you carry the burdens of mankind?
You must walk this path alone...
You're grown now, why still so naïve..."
I return to my mother
To find my childhood again
Wishing I could be as innocent as I once was
Hoping my heart could always be at peace like that
Watching the dragonflies trembling, unaware of human fate.
The clear sound of laughter, the sweet call, "Dragonfly, where are you!"
My mother looks at me, tears falling...
Ha Nguyen.

19. Poem: FINDING MYSELF AGAIN.
FINDING MYSELF AGAIN.
I find myself again on the spring meadows
As the young banyan trees start to sprout leaves
The children from days past are still catching crabs and snails
The fragrance of dried straw hides the memories of my childhood.
I find myself in the lullaby
The sound of my mother’s soothing voice on a hot summer afternoon
The rhythm of the hammock swaying me through hard times
My mother’s frail shoulders, restless with love for me.
I find myself on the worn-out path
Where my mother carried burdens – and my father took me to school
All of us walking, some crying
My father comforted me - "Stop crying, silly
Studying will help you become a person..."
I find myself in the youthful days
With dreams and passions that dared me to move forward
A stone for the foundation of a grand castle
Built on faith and dreams.
I find myself in the lights
In the glowing brilliance
Of my school notebooks
Recalling the days of summer rain
Never once thinking I would stumble
In the face of life's hardships...
I find myself in the quiet nights
Reflecting on life...
Ha Nguyen.

20. Poem: I HAVE NOTHING.
I HAVE NOTHING.
I am not the woman you crave
But I offer myself, wrapped in longing
To hide my heart in the warmth of their breath,
In a life filled with burdens.
I am not the only woman you’ve ever loved
You once wanted to bury your memories of me
In the scent of perfume - lost in the embrace
Sharing life's weight with you.
I am not the woman you once dreamed of
Stored in the archives of love
In the fading light of dusk
With hesitant kisses, mingled with tears
Shared between us.
I am not the woman who inspires endless poems
Who hears you sing of happiness and love
Even when it's too late...
I am not wealthy
To bring you fame and glory.
I am simply a woman with dignity
Who knows hope and optimism
Who loves you without concern for the past
And who forgives your moments of weakness in life
Who loves you, whether you smile or suffer...
I am the woman
Who knows only to wash clothes and cook meals
Who waits for you, with the sun setting at the doorstep
Who stays silent when necessary....
I am the woman who is content.
I don't have a bright, cheerful smile
Nor do I blame life for its bitterness
Nor do I play games
That would make you fall for me
Begging to hide in the gaze of my eyes.
All I want is to hold your hand and face life's storms with you
All I have
Is a sincere heart
To love you completely....
Ha Nguyen.

