A Little Gift

Little sister says "Hello, how are you chị?"
The gift is made of neither silver nor gold as it is only a poem that em gửi gấm "Tâm Tư,"
Crafted bookmark em had beautifully put, carrying Hà's thoughts of all.
Thank you em for a grateful heart!
Proud being a big sis of yours.

Writer's Notes
This first somewhat semi-bilingual poem was written about a month ago in thanking Hà, a sister friend, for a simple, yet thoughtful gift that she gave.
Literally, Vietnamese "chị" means "older sister" and "em" means "younger sister".

Peace on Earth

Peace rains on earth today
God is with us, Emmanuel!

Christmas Day 2013

Writer's Notes
Originally written on the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Bốn tuần Mùa Vọng đón Giáng Sinh
Hân hoan mừng Chúa giáng sinh ra đời.

Passing Autumn Wind

(Một Thoáng Gió Thu)
Một thoáng gió lay
Lá vàng khẻ nhẹ
Lìa cành du dương
Đong đưa trong gió

Mĩm cười với gió
Nhắc nhở thu sang
Thu vàng rực rỡ
Điểm điểm trời xanh.

Writer's Notes
Thoáng nhìn phong cảnh mùa Thu trong khi đang rửa chén vào một buổi trưa ngày thứ Bảy của tháng 10 năm 2013.

Those lines call to mind a glimpse of Autumn scenery as I momentarily looked out the window while doing the dishes on that one Saturday afternoon in October 2013.

At 35

Rustling leaves
Blowing winds
Summer days are coming to an end.
When the wind starts to change its direction
Autumn is near, in full color.

To the grace of God’s given life
I was born on a beautiful autumn day.
May I live helping to touch other people lives
And letting theirs touch mine.
Thanks be unto God for the gift of life!

Writer's Notes
Written on my 35th birthday in thanksgiving for God's gift of life.

Travelling

When I travel, I never travel alone. It is Him who travels with me.

10,000 feet up in the sky
I see God’s wonders lie
Oh, what a beautiful sight
That He had designed
It’s a feast to the eyes.

Lie above the sky
Are the truth and the light
Shining from on high
Reach the earth and alike
They reflect the light.

Ordering one’s life
Toward the light
Radiant, oh so bright
Wholeness of sight
Perfect one’s life
A joyous life.

Writer's Notes
Written about a year ago to date with the thought of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in mind as I was reflecting about past travels.