Wild Sunflowers Poem by VO THI NHU MAI

chilly mist still clings to Dalat's streets
then suddenly a golden blaze of petals
rising from the highland

i came from the prairie holding stories in my hands
you belong here, too, the wildflowers whispered

they grow without needing, permission or praise
each petal is a quiet defiance against the cold winds

between the rice field songs and the tranquility of highlands
i learned to bloom gently and stay happy in the light

brief is its life but how it endures
each year bloom a soft vow to begin again