Simple happiness

The child returns to knock on the door of the autumn wind.

Tearing off a page from the calendar reveals a spirit carried on the wind.

My mother's shoulders bent under the carrying pole as she came to stay.

The setting sun casts its light on her hunched back.

The child called out to his mother in a weak, indignant tone, and she relented.

The incense smoke slowly ignites my heart.

Exhausted and pale, calling the soul back to the frozen realm of memories.

The cup shatters on a lonely, cold day.

On days when my mother is absent, I smell the burning scent.

I love the vibrant purple water hyacinths against the sunset.

On the banks of the Hieu River, I call for a ferry, my heart heavy with sorrow.

A chest battered by storms, a heart weakened by hardship.

The child happily kisses the crescent moon.

The pristine, sparkling surface of the lotus pond is broken.

I am surrounded by the embrace of power.

The happiness my mother gave me was so simple...

Tran Thu Ha