Thanh Thao

translated by Linh Dinh

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MI MI

1

my daughter I see you run behind the moon

barking

you are the best dog

barking out shades

footsteps of the clouds

to soothe me on scorching days

2

in life whenever a voice startles

I lean once more on your eyes

brown like the earth

3

lined up in rows the winds

bobbing at dawn

you fly on four feet

the kindest face on a sad day

with ears slightly shuddering the night

4

you absent from the stairs

absent from the air

the house has suddenly become vast

vague the tapping footsteps

you have gone past the wall

5

burying its muzzle into my chest

the night burst into tears

SLOW PASSAGE 2000

I

I surround myself

like a dog marking its territory with urine

it's when I surpass limits

the tree tops call. The stars summon

the microbes whisper

a pale ribbon of light pierces the barrier

the woman pushing the trash cart taps onto the evening's face

certain signals

I tidy myself up frantically

in time for the trash cart

sweep everything away

spotless

that's when

the words start to appear like stars

II

a gust of wind tosses

a glare

I contract like a shy plant

fold my leaves

see with thorns

thorns are the plant's tears

a new moon white marble

an empty lot milky moon

dog festival

dogs bark at the moon dogs smile

dogs sniff the scent of misfortune

competing at howling their true feelings

those who seek in the night

a task a hope a place of refuge a

void

the night promises everything

III

with two pens

two chopsticks

I go search for the spring

slow and tranquil

look the pen is trembling slightly

breathes each stroke of ink

I know that I'm drying up

slow and tranquil

IV

youthful days

I spent my days like the rain falling on sand

now I save every leaf

on the branch

the matchbox for the black cricket I use to trap winter's warmth

a bit of summer breeze

the worn match box with a fading label

in front of me a child on crutches learn to walk at 5 in the morning

a truck discharges smoke into the new millennium

a woman who has lost her mind remembers to run towards the street light

behind the dawn's back

the mayflies interrupt their search

V

now I know

that other worlds

are also like this

like a bird learning to love its cage

without needing to learn how to sing