A Song From The Heart Of Quang Tri Poem by VO THI NHU MAI

I grew up in a land of sun and wind
with a full moon resting on the thatched roof
A few old souls told stories of gods
while children fell asleep
dreaming in smoky dusk

Grass grew in my homeland
between the stones by the kitchen hearth
Buffalo paths cut through March fields
Quang Tri accent, thick, warm, unmistakable
and village families lighting fires in festival nights

I left my hometown at the age of nine
Han River tugged gently at our sleeves
my mother's and mine
The warmth of brown earth clung to our worn sandals
as I left behind the field
the sky and friends
whose laughter cheerfully scattering as we ran
splashing cold water at each other at dawn

Evening trains rattled toward the fading sun
In the middle carriage sat an old woman
lost in thought, her face carved with time
her eyes as wet as October rain

I have passed through life
through my twenties more than once
lived among high-rises, beside vast rivers
But I still carry with me the scent of kitchen smoke
the call of a rooster in the morning mist
and beloved Quang Tri
with its low and high timeworn villages

V.T.N.M.