April sunshine

(Baonghean) - The April sun, the beginning of summer. There's something both passionate and intoxicating about it. The transitional moment, just after the vibrant budding and blossoming of spring, still damp, suddenly overflows with the eager anticipation of a "summer ripening while the sky is still green," leading to a "sky so sweet - the sun still pouring honey." The temperature on the natural thermometer suddenly fluctuates, creating a slight, unexpected disappointment, but not a feeling of disorientation.

The April sun brings with it a flower that signals the arrival of summer: the trumpet lily. The trumpet lily, with its delicate white blossoms, carries a hint of rustic fragrance, yet possesses a simple white mixed with a touch of elegance; humble and fragile, it hides its splendor within. This flower is like a fairy tale, a touching story of a girl faithfully waiting for her love until the day of hopelessness. It blooms only once, for one season each year, and for only one month.

April lilies. Photo: Tran Hai

Lilies bloom like brass trumpets in a vibrant summer choir, full of color and lively sounds. In April, lilies remind us of the triumphant songs of the heroic and historic April 30th.

The lilies are like a brass band playing the song "As if Uncle Ho were present on this joyous day of great victory." On ordinary days, Uncle Ho greatly admired the pure, pristine white color of the hyacinth. Uncle Ho, the lilies of April are also pure and white, just like the hyacinth. If the lilies resonate with outwardly proud melodies, the white hyacinth is sacred, quiet, and inwardly mindful of those who have passed away. So many comrades fell on the battlefield for this joyous day of victory, as my friend – the military poet Nguyen Huu Quy – wrote in his moving poem "The White Hyacinth": "The soldiers, holding white hyacinths in their hands – They return to where they departed."

April, a month filled with memories. Memories of a lifetime and memories of a nation, of an individual connected to a community, and of a community connected to the entire history of humankind. It seems that memorable milestones on the journey of history always carry an enduring and everlasting meaning. It's strange, after the victorious April 30th, comes May 1st – International Labor Day. The country is at peace and independent, ending decades of war, but there is no rest; instead, we turn a new page, working to rebuild and develop our homeland to be more dignified, more beautiful, and more prosperous...

April sunshine holds many memories for generations of students, as the flame trees in the schoolyard spread their umbrellas, preparing to burst into clusters of red blossoms, and the cicadas nest in the earth, purifying the air with their accumulated sounds, ready to sing their songs. And the sweetness of the sudden showers on the streets of Saigon on April 30th fills the air, as the fresh leaves gaze at each other in wonder at nature's transformation and blossoming. It's no longer just a change of seasons, but an intermingling of humanity with its glorious past, of humanity with all that surrounds us!

Nguyen Ngoc Phu