Nguyen Quoc Anh, the poet who knows his own strength

(Baonghean) - Poet Nguyen Quoc Anh, from Duc Bui commune, Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province. Member of the Vietnam Writers Association. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Nghe An Literature and Arts Association, term VI and term VII. He published 9 poetry collections and 2 prose collections, and won the B and C prizes of the Ho Xuan Huong Literature and Arts Award (Nghe An). He passed away on January 7, 2012...

I still remember the afternoon at the end of 1973, Nguyen Quoc Anh visited the Basic Construction Department - Ha Tinh Department of Culture.

Poet Nguyen Quoc Anh

I was gullible and fun-loving, so after listening to Quoc Anh's sweet talk, I agreed to join the Literature and Arts Association.

After finishing the Nguyen Du writing training course, I made up all kinds of excuses to return the position of Chief of the Association's Office to Nguyen Quoc Anh. It took him five or seven times to accept it back. At that time, few cadres in their 20s thought about titles, and being a cadre, especially a cultural and artistic cadre, was already very impressive. Once I asked Nguyen Quoc Anh: "Have you gained anything in the past half year of your Nguyen Du writing training?". Nguyen Quoc Anh said: "Oh my, every student showed off their knowledge, so the teachers were just being perfunctory! There were famous students like Pham Tien Duat, To Ngoc Hien, Le Minh Khue... sitting below, so teachers Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Xuan Sanh were not foolish enough to wave their hands and feet! Especially the principal - poet Nguyen Xuan Sanh, whenever he had the chance, he thoroughly emphasized: We writers must always have a red thread running through it"! What do you think? Every monster has a "red thread"! As for literature, as Xuan Dieu said, no one can teach anyone, not even experience. Many people are well-versed in ancient and modern literature, but can they write a single decent sentence?

I know the poem "My Battlefield", composed by Nguyen Quoc Anh during his time attending Nguyen Du's writing training class, is the best poem in his poetry career.

Father died because of them

Restless

Grave like helmet

Take to the sky!

There I return to build a battlefield

The grave covers one side for me!

But this poem was a child of unfortunate fate, and had to go through ups and downs for nearly 15 years before it had the chance to be published in its own poetry collection! And it was also this poem that poet Nguyen Trong Tao successfully defended the nomination of Nguyen Quoc Anh to the Writers' Association later!

Poet Nguyen Trong Tao said: In the Poetry Council meeting of the Vietnam Writers Association that year, he nominated Nguyen Quoc Anh to be on the list of proposals for the Executive Committee to consider admission. Poet Pham Tien Duat asked Nguyen Trong Tao, "What is Nguyen Quoc Anh's poetry like? Let me give you an example of a poem?" Nguyen Trong Tao read the poem "The Battlefield of My Child". After listening, everyone agreed!

It must be said that Nguyen Quoc Anh is one of the people who has the qualities and talent to be an office manager... In real life, he is a romantic, carefree person, but at work, he is a careful and meticulous person.

The Ha Tinh Literature and Arts Association at that time also had its own headquarters and seal, but all activities were under the Department of Culture, following the model of two houses sharing one alley. The Association's office staff at that time only had three people (Nguyen Quoc Anh, Chinh Tam, Tung Bach), but with Nguyen Quoc Anh's eloquence - the Association had 7 staff members and was able to launch the Ha Tinh Literature and Arts magazine to replace the previous La River magazine of the Ha Tinh Department of Culture.

In 1976, the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh merged into Nghe Tinh, and we moved our pots, pans, and boxes to Vinh. After more than a year, the internal situation of the Nghe Tinh Literature and Arts Association had a “problem” regarding solidarity! Some of us asked to transfer jobs one by one! Nguyen Quoc Anh was chosen by Tran Huu Thung to be introduced to the Vietnam Feature Film Studio as Deputy Director of the film “That Day On the Bank of the Lam River”. So Nguyen Quoc Anh suddenly had a “position”.

I remember once he invited me to Nghi Xuan to buy a thatched house for a movie. The thing is, in the movie “That Day by the Lam River” there was a scene of burning down a house and robbing things. When the scene came, he told me to burn it! A house is for living in, not for burning, so the cheaper the better!

I asked: "You are the Deputy Director of Film, so what is your specific job?" Nguyen Quoc Anh shook his neck and laughed: The position of Deputy Director of Film sounds impressive, but in reality, it's just an errand boy, my friend! For example, if they need the role of a newspaper boy, I will find and introduce to them the kid from Le Ham's family. If they need the role of a "crier", I will find Danh, who specializes in selling medicinal herbs at Vinh Railway Station market. If they need a blue-eyed, long-nosed guy to play a Westerner, I will find Minh, who is a barber in Pho Chau town... In short, being a Deputy Director of Film is like that, mainly for fun, there's no need to do anything, moreover, this is a film about the Soviets of Nghe Tinh, the script is by Tran Huu Thung! The good thing is that I have the opportunity to travel to many places, knowing the places I need to know, that's also very profitable!

In 1991, Nghe - Tinh was split into two provinces - Nguyen Quoc Anh did not return to Ha Tinh but stayed in Nghe An.

He participated in two executive sessions of Nghe An Literature and Arts Association, term VI and term VII, as Head of the Association's membership committee.

In 1996, Nguyen Quoc Anh had to have 3/4 of his stomach removed, so all his activities had to follow the doctor's instructions. He gave up alcohol, but only kept the habit of occasionally sipping a couple of pipes of tobacco. He said that from childhood until now, he had never owed anyone a penny, but at the end of his life, he had to owe blood! He had a stomach tumor and had to have it removed, but unfortunately, he did not lack money but he lacked blood! So he had to rely on blood donations from students! No one asked for this debt, but he still had to remember it! I know he paid that debt through poetry, and with all the efforts of the rest of his life!

In 2008, God punished him again. This time, he had to have his liver removed! When I visited him from time to time, I often joked to make him happy: You should hurry up and write a collection and not write anything more! A poet's essence is his liver and intestines, but you have had your heart, liver, heart, and lungs almost completely removed, haven't you? Nguyen Quoc Anh shook his neck and laughed: You only know how to speak correctly, for a long time you have only taken pleasure as your main thing and have not written or cheated on anything else. Try to complete the previous things and then write a collection, and consider it done! Oh, and have you heard my new manifesto?

Talent? I don't have any.

Mind? Cut it off.

Liver has only one leaf left

One kidney is atrophied.

Stomach - three parts thrown away

My stomach is empty now

Only love remains

For Me and for You!

Yes, maybe he is not talented, but try to be in his situation and see how many people are as optimistic and loving life as he is? Life is sometimes not what it seems! When he feels at peace, Nguyen Quoc Anh also consoles himself with his optimistic pride.

What they have, we don't have.

They want to be like me, just a dream.

(Self-comfort)

He fully understands the human condition in this world, who are friends and soul mates: "When you leave, how many friends/ When you return, how many people remain/ Who left you and died violently/ Who let go of the pole?"

"Mood" is his favorite poem, expressing his decisive and resolute attitude towards life:

My hand planted peach

My hand chops peach

My hand put the peach branch into the vase

My hand - still my hand

Throw peach branches out the door!

Having fun is the nature of a writer. Nguyen Quoc Anh also has the qualities of someone who likes to organize and lead fun events, especially he has the ability to create a playground for many people, even when he has to physically "walk lightly, speak softly", he still tries his best with his passionate enthusiasm, rushing back and forth to establish the Vinh City Literature and Arts Association, take care of the headquarters, and arrange money to publish the Van Nghe magazine. He deserves to be honored by his literary and artistic friends in Vinh City!

He once compared himself to a lightning rod:

Lightning strikes the lightning rod

Lightning rod calmly takes it all

Five floors of peace.

Five floors of peace

Forgot the lightning rod on the roof!

Cypress

(Vinh City)