Once upon a
time, there was a
girl who was crazy
about Charles Bukowski.
she read his
novels, she read tons
of his poems,
she read him
until she
was set free
from worries, stresses,
and trivialities
of life.
his carefree attitude,
his brutal honesty
showing our bare souls,
our shortcomings,
our fierce desires,
the dark side of
our hearts
set her
free
set her
free.
Happy 98th birthday, Charles Bukowski.
Another Mother’s day
And I thought I would run out of
things to say to you
then I realized words
can never fully express my affections,
my love, and my gratitude for you.
You’re always there for me
listening to all my happiness,
my whining, and my complaints.
As I grow and better myself
exploring a new career path
learning a new philosophy
we exchange thoughts,
share plans and ideas.
I’m so happy you’re on the journey with me
navigating all the paths and detours
celebrating all the milestones
I hope I will give you
the dream home we’ve been dreaming of
filled with pure thoughts and enlightened words
detached from impurities
that are abundant in life
You’re the most beautiful flower of all flowers
the brightest sun of all suns
the sweetest word of all words
the purest drop of morning dew
Happy mother’s day
To my mom and all the mothers
Of the past, the present, and the future
for my “LL” group
Taking a stroll down memory lane
Are your voices still as sweet
Are your hairs still as lustrous
Are the waves still as soothing
Are you still the same?
Are you still the same?
The fun we had playing game
during Tết dinner party;
The shocked reaction you took when I
crushed your sand castle at Vung Tau beach;
The day you asked me when
I would come back and
all you heard was
but a moment of silence
while the fragrance of plumeria
was overwhelming in the air
Are you still the same?
Despite an ocean and over a decade away
Despite the dreams lost or materialized
Will you remain the same for me
when I come back home?
❤❤❤
I was inspired to write this poem after listening non-stop to this song:
This morning
I was walking in the park
Thinking about the lunar new year celebration
The yellow apricot blossoms
The sticky rice cakes
The áo dài flaps swinging in the air
And the 17 students shot
At a Florida public school yesterday.
Life is an endless cycle
I stared at the pink cherry blossoms
And the amazing blue sky
Reflected in the creek
And I said to myself
Stop.
Happy Tết 2018!
for my mother-in-law
And just like that you were gone
When the rain was crying hard on the street
It’s convoluted like the darkness
Engulfing our souls and our hearts
Where’s the beautiful lady
Bright and shining on the wedding day?
Where’s the caring mother
Who cooked and worked and took care of her five children
Until exhausted and passed out?
Your “Leopard” is still roaming the forest
Your freshly baked blueberry muffins
Left a warm and sweet taste on my tongue
But you’re gone
Like the grains of light I reach out
To grasp but I catch nothing.
R.I.P.
Closed until further notice
Says the disappointing sign in front of the brilliant park
at the end of the narrow road in the woods
The breathtaking red and yellow leaves
scattered alongside the waterfalls last Autumn
are glowing vividly in my memory
To what use could I put words I’ve been hunting for
when life’s erosion of feelings and inspiration
seems like just a matter of time
like the faded fall foliage in the forest
Dream on
Dream on
for SG
If time in this world is infinite
I will ceaselessly swim in your cadences
Let your impeccable sense of direction
lead us to every sunset over the mountain top
and your amusing sense of humor
rub off on me
If time in this world lasts only a day
I will treasure every minute with you
every rose I get, every word you utter
every yearning, every gaze, every chance
to spiral your soul and unwrap
layer after layer of it
If time in this world stands still
we will be caught in a passionate hug
I listen to your rhythmical heart beat
Inhale every particle emanating from you
while the fragrance of roses suspended in the air
we are locked in an eternal frozen embrace
