Grandpa

In the middle of winter
Suddenly comes spring
Ùa về ký ức cũ
Ôm chầm lấy người thân

Writer's Notes
(Ông) Ngoại mất vào những ngày giáp Tết, một tuần sau khi gia đình sang đến Hoa Kỳ định cư. My grandpa passed away right as the Lunar New Year was approaching, just one week after our family immigrated to the United States.

Giữa cái rét lạnh mùa đông, tất cả mọi thứ đều mới mẻ. In the midst of winter, everything was new—even the news of his passing. I try, but I can no longer recall the numbness I felt at that moment. I'm not sure I even knew how to grieve back then. Đâu đó trong dòng suy nghĩ có chút gì in denial, là Ngoại vẫn 'còn đó' ở Việt Nam. Part of me was in denial, believing Grandpa was still just waiting for us back home in Vietnam.

And it stayed that way for fifteen years. Trong một chuyến đi về Việt Nam, during a trip back to Vietnam, I began to realize that Ngoại ở trong tôi—that I am his continuation...

Và trên là vài dòng thương nhớ ngoại nhân his death anniversary. These few lines are in loving memory of my grandfather on his death anniversary. Missing you much, grandpa!

Beautiful Fall

Tháng mười có lá vàng rơi
Ba tôi nhìn thấy mùa Thu tuyệt vời.

Writer's Notes
Viết tặng ba nhân ngày sinh nhật.

October Birthday

Autumn yellow leaves
What beautiful fall colors
October birthday

Writer's Notes
🍃second written Haiku poem🌸

Summer Rain

Mưa Hạ
Did you see the rainbow after the rain?
Casting the colors of earth upon the sky
Reminding of hope from an old promise...

Writer's Notes
Ghi lại vài dòng cảm nhận khi nhìn thấy cầu vòng hiển thị trên một góc trời trong lúc đang lái xe về nhà sau một cơn mưa của những ngày cuối Hè.

An Old Firewood Kitchen

Sương mù hay khói bếp xưa?

"Ngoại ơi, khói quá!"

Đứa trẻ hồn nhiên kêu lớn
Đâu biết rằng Ngoại chỉ có dỏ (vỏ) dừa nhúm (nhóm) lửa nấu cơm trưa.

🌴

Patchy fog or rising smoke from an old firewood kitchen?

"Grandma, smoke is billowing!"

A young child called out loud
Unknowingly that her grandma had only dried coconut husk (and shell) to start the fire for cooking.

Writer's Notes
Vài hàng ghi lại dòng suy nghĩ vào những ngày trung tuần tháng Bảy năm 2019 khi nhìn thấy sương mù vào một buổi sáng sớm ngày Hè trước khi chuẩn bị lái xe đi làm.

Reminiscing of the time when we didn’t have much to buy wood or charcoal for cooking.

Vì than không tiền mua,
Củi (cây) me chờ kéo sau trời mưa giông.

Grandma would go to the nearby Saigon Chợ Cũ market to pick up discarded coconut husk and shell from the coconut specialty vendor.

Those freshly discarded coconut husk and shell were then dried under the sun before using them in place of wood and charcoal for cooking.

Sunflower

Thái dương hoa vàng hướng,
Bướm hội mỹ tâm hương.

Yellow flower turns toward the sun,
Butterfly meets up with the lovely scented flower face🌻

Writer's Notes
Một chút gì thi vị...

An Afternoon Sun

Vạt nắng chiều tà
trải vàng
trên Ngoại trên con
Một thoáng gió lay
hiu hiu
con thiu thiu ngủ
Chú thợ chụp hình
click clack
ghi hình kỷ niệm
Ngoại con trăn trở
bao giờ
mới gặp lại nhau?

Ginkgo Tree

Ginkgo tree lá vàng óng ả
Quạt lên cùng ngọn gió mùa thu.

Golden yellow ginkgo leaves
Rustling in the autumn breeze.

Writer's Notes
Reminiscing of autumn while doing craft projects with dried fall leaves...

Spring Sunshine

Nắng Xuân

Xuân về nắng ấm tỏa hương hoa

Tân niên chúc thọ mừng thêm tuổi.

Writer's Notes
Greeting on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

A perfect New Year!

Đông sang gió lạnh
冬冷風吹 dung laang fung ceoi
Hoa nở Xuân về
春來花開 ceon lai faa hoi
Chúc thọ cao niên
祝寿老人 zuk sau lou jan
Lì xì xấp nhỏ
利是孩子 lei si haai zi
Người người hoan hỷ
人人喜氣 jan jan hei hei
A perfect New Year!
新年完美 san nin jyun mei

Writer's Notes
Viết nhân dịp Tết Bính Thân 2016.
Written on the occasion of Vietnamese New Year "Tết" celebration.

Credits and/or Citations:
The above written verses incorporate the utilization of the online MDBG Chinese-English dictionary for Jyutping Cantonese romanization of Chinese characters.

Reminiscing Tet

Tuyết phủ mù sương trời đông lạnh

Xuân về đất khách nhớ hương xưa.

Writer's Notes
Viết vào những ngày giáp Tết Bính Thân 2016.
Written on days leading up to Tet (Vietnamese Tết Nguyên Đán Lunar New Year).

Happy New Age

Mừng Tuổi

Nắng vàng mai nở mừng thêm tuổi

Gió lay tuyết lạnh ấm tình quê.

Writer's Notes
Greeting on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Spring Comes

白雪飛 bak syut fei
新春來 san ceon lai
人人開 jan jan hoi
開開心 hoi hoi sam

Literal English Translation version:
Flying snowflakes fly
Spring comes
People are
happy (at the coming of Spring).

Writer's Notes
Viết nhân dịp Tết Ất Mùi 2015.
Written on the occasion of Vietnamese New Year "Tết" celebration.

Credits and/or Citations:
The above written verses incorporate the utilization of the online MDBG Chinese-English dictionary for Jyutping Cantonese romanization of Chinese characters.

On A Rainy Autumn Day

In memory of dì Tư Phấn, Mom's older cousin...Thái Thị Phấn

Mưa thu trong tiễn biệt
Dì Phấn bước ra đi
Ngoại con chờ bên ấy
Cùng dì bước thảnh thơi.

Hẹn mai này gặp lại
Mừng mừng tủi tủi vui
Cùng dì dạo tiên cảnh
Vui sống chốn bồng lai.

A Mother’s Love

母親的愛

我生有你是我的福喜
(ngo sang jau nei si ngo dik fuk hei)
It is a blessing having you in my life.

日日夜夜想念你...母親的愛
(jat jat je je soeng nim nei...mou can dik oi)
Day and night I’m thinking of your love

愛如大海, 愛如高山, 愛如天空
(oi jyu daai hoi, oi jyu gou saan, oi jyu tin hung)
愛是永遠, 愛是不變, 愛在我心中。
(oi si wing jyun, oi si bat bin, oi zoi ngo sam zung)
Like an ocean ever-flowing of love, unchanging mountain up on high, wide embracing open sky.


我心有你是永遠不變
(ngo sam yau nei si wing jyun bat bin)
Having you in my heart is forever and unchanged.

年年月月記得你...母親的教
(nin nin jyut jyut gei tak nei...mou can dik gaau)
Year after year month after month I’m remembering of your teaching

教在我好, 教我做人, 教我學文
(gaau zoi ngo hou, gaau ngo zou jan, gaau ngo hok man)
做人做更得好, 學文學完努力
(zou zan zou gang tak hou, hok man hok jyun nou lik)
As you meant to teach me well
First learn to behave ethically in everyday life, second to study hard to have a good education.

未來長大 後想回到 感謝我母親的愛。
(mei loi zoeng daai hau soeng wui dou kam ze ngo mou can dik oi)
Growing up, I’m able to look back and appreciate your care and love for me.


Writer's Notes
This fourth, yet first full piece of phonetic writing in Cantonese Chinese that was written with a thought of a middle school classmate in mind as she who had just recently lost her mother.

The first stanza was conceived and written on July 2 while the second stanza was written and completed over the following three days.

Credits and/or Citations:
The above written verses incorporate the utilization of the online MDBG Chinese-English dictionary for Jyutping Cantonese romanization of Chinese characters.

Summer Solstice

Sang Hạ
Sáng nay mưa khẻ nhẹ
Dịu mát khí trời Xuân
Hạ sang trong tĩnh lặng
Vườn tâm hiển ý thơ.

Summer 2014

Haiku in Spring

Cherry blossoms bloom

I am stepping into Spring

Petals fall on cheeks.

Stepping into Spring
Photo by Mei

Writer's Notes
It's my first try at writing Haiku poem upon the mentioning of this Japanese poetic form by my ten years old nephew, who is studying about it at school during the National Poetry Month.

The photo was edited using Google+ photo.

Spring Forward

Cuối đông darkness fades away
yields light to earth longer day.
At dawn chim hát chào ngày mới,
mộc lan hé nụ đón mừng xuân.

End of Winter/Early Spring
Daylight Savings Time (DST) 2014

Literal English Translation version:
End of winter darkness fades away
yields light to earth longer day.
At dawn birds sing to greet a new day,
budding magnolia flowers welcome spring.

Remembering Tet

Quét tuyết bên này nhớ Tết ta
Hồng hồng xác pháo đỏ sân nhà
Đêm qua đón Tết giao thừa đến
Sáng nay thức dậy đón Xuân sang
Tha hương vị Tết bùi ngùi tưởng
Thắp nén nhang lòng nhớ tổ tiên.

Writer's Notes
Đầu năm khai bút... Viết nhân dịp Tết Giáp Ngọ 2014.
Written on the first day of Tet (Vietnamese Tết Nguyên Đán Lunar New Year).

Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights
Photo by Mei

Christmas comes, Christmas stays
This season and everyday.

In the darkness of night,
Rising star guides the way
To the place where peace is,
In our hearts on this very day.

At the break of dawn,
Radiant sun reigns the day
Divine Light, Eternal Truth,
Giver of life, justice shines.

O Love unbounded, blesses us all
An encounter with the Light
As we walk in this life,
Journeying home back to You.

Christmas comes and Christmas stays.

Writer's Notes
The above set of verses was written with inspirations from the Christmas video message from Father Rothan, pastor of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey, the front page article “Christmas Lights Reflect Truth that Christ is Light of World, Pope Says” by Cindy Wooden of Catholic New Services found on The Catholic Witness December 20, 2013 Volume 45, Number 25 and the homily of Pope Francis on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord at the Midnight Mass (24 December 2013).

While its first draft was completed on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the final draft was later edited for posting on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.

Pictured is Mei’s very own decorated tabletop Christmas tree. The photo was edited using Google+ photo.