Conversation with a Dead Poet
The world through your eyes
A stony cliff overlooking the sea under white clouds and blue skies
Bears emotions like you and I
Why some ask
Great stones and pebbles can be sad?
As emblems of present and past, they’ve witnessed history made
At Washington’s Rock
Once stood a great general for freedom fought
Building blocks of timeless architectures
Still shines, the beauty of the pyramids, monumental grandeurs of human endeavor
Lovers collect pebbles from the seashores
As testament to memory of love
The world through your eyes
Love is always beautiful yet forever fragile
It comes and goes like rivers’ streams
Delicate like a flower
Gloriously blossoms then forever withers
It is the rain, the sunsets and sunrises
The velvet path covered by spring’s flowers’ petals
Or carpeted by yellow autumn leaves
The world through your eyes
All people are beautiful
An exuberant vendor on a busy street
Shouting to passerbys on his feet
A kind neighbor’s warm greetings
When one comes home after a day of dealing
A brave foot soldier laid to rest from a war filled with atrocities
Sacrificed for the betterment of his country
A meeting of new lovers in a sunset park
Where love takes place till it’s dark
The world through your eyes
To live is to love
Through death, illness, war, destitute, and unkindness
Rise above is love and tenderness
To love is the love of nature
Of the brooks, the stars, the moon and the skies
Of the trees, the oceans, the forests and mankind
You’ve instilled a soul in these beings
In the orbit of the universe, they’re constantly interacting
The world through your eyes
Death is part of life
From dust you were born crying
And to it you return smiling
To be born again.
R.I.P. Mr. Trinh Cong Son, the much beloved musician. Your songs speak to me poetically. I owe you a huge appology since I don’t think any poem could capture the essence ofyour poetry in your musics in totality. To capture the totality of your lifetime of works, one would need pages after much more careful investigation. However, as a fan, I could only best honour you by this poem- merely an attempt to summarize some of your works.
Furthermore, I incoporated some examples of how stones are used in life to illustrate (hopefully) your view of stones and pebbles. And, of course, these examples are not from your work.
Always and forever,
Vu Q. Huynh
6-30-2016
Inspired by these following songs (Gợi cảm từ những tác phẩm sau):
Phiến Đá Sầu
Còn Tuổi Nào Cho Em
Như Cánh Vạc Bay
Em Còn Nhớ Hay Em Đã Quên
Cát Bụi
Dấu Chân Địa Đàng
Hãy Yêu Nhau Đi
Những Con Mắt Trần Gian
Cho Một Người Vừa Nằm Xuống
Tình Xa
