Nghe An man who has been in a wheelchair for 30 years releases his first poetry collection

The book launch of the young man who wrote on a homemade wheelchair attracted people like a major local cultural event. Photo: Dao Tho

The launch of Luong Van Thuong's first poetry collection on the evening of October 27 in Can village, Tam Thai commune, Tuong Duong district (Nghe An) attracted about 200 people to attend.

The Community Cultural House room was full, the audience of all ages stood on the steps, some were hanging around in the yard, looking in. The atmosphere was cheerful and everyone was curious and excited. The stage was a blue canvas spread on the floor. The author of the book was lying on a strange-looking wheelchair on the stage.

The young man said "thank you" to the audience at the touching event in the Thai ethnic village of Tuong Duong district - Nghe An. Photo: Dao Tho

For people in this difficult area, writing and composing poetry is a luxury. It is even more unusual for someone in the community to have their poems published in a book, especially someone with a severe disability like Luong Van Thuong. People came to share the joy with the author and to express their admiration for the young man who overcame his illness to live a better life.

The evening of October 27th was also Thuong's 38th birthday. From the age of 5, after a serious illness, Thuong became paralyzed. Then, when he was in the third grade of the village school, he could no longer walk and had to leave school. However, Thuong still studied by himself through books and radio so as not to "forget the letters". Since then, all the knowledge he has acquired has come from books and newspapers.

In Search of Dreams, the first book of a young man written from the perspective through the window of a stilt house. Photo: Huu Vi

Since the age of 20, he has been using a homemade wheelchair made by his father. The family's economic difficulties prevented him from buying a more decent wheelchair. From then on, the young man who "could not leave his home on his own" began to compose his first poem. Some of his poems were later published in newspapers. That was the encouragement that gave him more motivation to compose.

Later, when he bought himself an old computer, writing became easier for Thuong. Thanks to the internet and social networks, Thuong got to know disabled poets and from then on he continued to compose. The poems, mainly Facebook statuses, were collected by Thuong in the bookIn search of dreamsjust published by Lao Dong Publishing House in October 2018. The book includes 78 poems in the luc bat and song that luc bat genres.

The feelings expressed in a simple way by Luong Van Thuong. Photo: Huu Vi

The poems of the Thai man, with his view of life through the window of a stilt house and the internet, are mainly about love, about his mother and village life, as well as his thoughts on life. Sometimes, the man cannot avoid feeling inferior. But the most notable thing in the "baby" poems of Luong Van Thuong is the desire for love, a peaceful family that always burns in the heart of the disabled man.

Mr. Hoang Sang, a singer from Ho Chi Minh City, traveled nearly 2,000km to share the joy with Thuong. He shared: “The most precious thing for a poet who cannot step out of his own house like Thuong is the will to live. Holding on to poems to live is probably the most appropriate for Luong Van Thuong.”

The Western poet overcame his fate

(Baonghean.vn) - In Can village, Tam Thai commune, Tuong Duong district, people still affectionately call Luong Van Thuong the poet of the Western mountains and forests. Luong Van Thuong was paralyzed since childhood and had to stay in one place, but with his own determination, he tried to study by himself and his passion is writing poetry.