In March, the Bombax flowers bloom.

(Baonghean) - March arrives with the dry sunshine and a touch of lingering chill from the late winter. In March, the purple blossoms of the crape myrtle tree fill the alleyways. The scent of pomelos clings to your feet. And in March, the vibrant red of the kapok flowers brings back childhood memories…

March brings with it many flowers that evoke nostalgia, stirring childhood memories and a wistful longing on the path home. But for me, for my childhood, March is associated with that one particular flower: the vibrant red of the kapok flower.

Photo: Internet

Then the kapok flowers fell. We children would still wander together under the kapok tree, picking up and cherishing the flowers that had been carried away by the wind to the earth. The vibrant, passionate color of the flowers gathered fire and enthusiasm, coloring the landscape of our homeland. That red hue, mingled with the countless chirping of birds, silently etched itself into the hearts of every village child. The children who once rested their heads on the grass only wanted to keep the color of those May flowers with them to the far horizon. Our homeland, beautiful in its simplicity and peace, shines even brighter each March.

As a child, my friends and I would pick those flower petals and nibble on them with relish. Every afternoon, we children would gather under the kapok tree, picking branches to make kapok flower wreaths to wear on our heads and play bride and groom. Or we'd collect kapok flowers to play shopkeeper or cook. From those simple, rustic kapok flowers, through the rich imagination of children, countless games were born under that tranquil tree. Now, sometimes I reminisce and long to return to that childhood, sitting under the kapok tree, watching the petals fly in the wind, spinning endlessly like windmills before landing on the grass. It seems that the vast expanse of peace remains with me in that moment when my eyes are captivated by the colors of the kapok flowers. I wish it could stay like that forever, serene and gentle in my soul.

In my hometown back then, two ancient kapok trees in the middle of the village cast their shadows onto the canal, their petals fluttering and falling. A flowering season confined to March, it came and went quickly, but the lingering impression was poignant and deeply moving.

The vibrant red blossoms of the kapok tree are in full bloom beside the Khe Bo hydroelectric reservoir.

The vibrant red blossoms of the kapok tree are in full bloom beside the Khe Bo hydroelectric reservoir.

Kapok flowers in March. Photo: Ho Phuong

Over time, the kapok trees that once bloomed in my hometown have been cut down, and memories of them now only remain in my mind. As I grew up, every time March came around, I would feel a pang of nostalgia for those kapok blossoms. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the highlands of Nghe An province and unexpectedly came across a lush kapok tree, its vibrant red blossoms illuminating a corner of the sky. It suddenly brought back memories of a land overflowing with blossoms. At that moment, my heart quietly yearned to return to that vast expanse of kapok blossoms, to find peace, to let the passionate red color dispel all worries and anxieties. If only I could, I would wish to return to that bygone day to cradle a blossom in my hand, to watch its petals dance and swirl in the wind.

Perhaps that's why, deep within my heart, I still linger those enchanting March days, gazing intoxicatedly at the kapok blossoms that unintentionally ignited the sky of my homeland. In the wide-eyed gaze of the children in my village, the kapok blossoms were like a lullaby, like a magical fairy tale. The two kapok trees in my village, though no longer there, still bloom in a vibrant, captivating color, a memory from years past, guiding us from afar back to the embrace of our homeland...

DUY NGỢI