Gentle March
(Baonghean.vn) - February is always a month with fewer days, as if to make March come sooner. And somewhere on the street, the flower vendor has already tied a few bunches of grapefruit flowers to sell to those who like to reminisce about the old days.
February is always a month with fewer days, as if to make March come sooner. And somewhere on the street, the flower vendor has already tied up a few bunches of grapefruit flowers to sell to those who like to reminisce about the old days. Someone passing by the street, inhaled that strong scent and softly sang: “The grapefruit scent makes the heart confused…”.
The flower that was born in the countryside, fragrant on the hair of the village girl, and today stirs the hearts of the people in the street. Because which city person has not had a country person deep inside them? Because which March does not make the heart want to give rise to passion?
The Tet holidays have passed, the apricot and peach blossoms have finally rushed to bloom. The echoes of the festivals still linger, but then all that bustling and sparkling atmosphere gradually fades away to give way to a gentle March. Like a shy young girl, March makes people feel wistful and miss her even when looking at her. A sweet, vague but full nostalgia in the heart. A warm affection spreads into every breath.
People say the weather this year is really strange. There are spring days as sunny as summer, and there are days colder than winter. Suddenly, it is hot and sweaty, and the monsoon is bitter. But then you can still recognize the gentle weather of March, even though it is an unusual March. In every spring breeze is the warmth and the mixture of many scents, the smell of soil, the smell of young buds, the smell of growing things. Spring is vibrant and ripe in every wind, every flower of March.
People sell grapefruit flowers on the streets, but for those who were born in the countryside, they suddenly miss a flower. The most simple, humble flower, but it was once someone's childhood. The xoan flower. The simple purple color but full of nostalgia. Only a touch of purple at the tip of the bud, but if you look at the whole tree, you will not recognize the shape of any bud, any flower, but only see a heart-wrenching purple color. One day, you may forget many things, but the xoan color will always linger no matter where you go.
And the scent of xoan flowers, not as strong as grapefruit, but also a haunting scent. The strange flower, gentle in color and fragrance, but not easily forgotten. The scent of xoan is pungent, cool, gentle, but once immersed in it, you will feel like a spider strung in the thinnest yet most seductive web in the world. Everything is as light as in a sweet dream, and you want it to stay like that forever.
March is also the month of cotton trees. There are cotton trees in several corners of Vinh city, on Quang Trung street, Truong Van Linh street… every time March comes, the base of the tree is bright red with fallen petals. Many photographers eagerly wait for the moment when the red flames just flash on the rough branches. Every year, the moment when the cotton trees bloom is also a truly sacred moment for photographers who consider themselves “crazy about cotton trees”. After taking pictures of cotton trees in the streets, they tell each other to run along the Lam River fields. The ancient cotton trees are in full bloom.
Against the grey background of the sky and the fields, a large kapok tree with a rough, dark brown trunk and red flaming spots of flowers is always a desirable image for photographers. The large, bright red kapok flowers stand out against the dark brown background of the branches. Behind, the March sunset casts a mysterious color over the sky. Photos are taken continuously, but certainly none of them are as glorious as the original photos of nature.
March on the street. The footsteps have begun to blend into daily life, after the worries of Tet and the excitement of the festival season. The drizzle makes the street a little more blurred, the air is humid and chilly. At times like these, it would be great to sit on a street corner and sip a cup of coffee that has just dripped the last drops, warm, bitter but fragrant. Just wear a thin dress, wrap a light scarf loosely around your neck, and you have become a March girl who is passionately enjoying her sweet days. Walking on the sidewalk still damp with moisture, you suddenly realize that March is not only gentle, not only exciting, but also quiet and elegant. The sky and earth are in harmony. You find yourself becoming a small but indispensable note in it.
