proclaim me naught as mother

Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

A poem in Vietnamese by Lê Vĩnh Tài
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

proclaim me naught as mother
proclaim me as the monument

infinite O our mothers’ love
only the best for her children
O no mother would
swallow whole if she could
a glutton for glorious silver

only a monument would ever
be so obstinate and unbending
because they can and so wilfully they consumed
(so so close to becoming postmodern)
singing this and then that anthem:

– the plateau is the epitome
poetry so rich so dreamy
reading poetry and stars to see
exports and high teas
endorsement and me me me
dragonflies and fleas
flying high on humanities

up up
and away
higher
and higher
high in the sky
oh sigh
the endless high

April 2023

đừng gọi tui là mẹ

hãy gọi tui: tượng đài

các bà mẹ bao dung

View original post 152 more words

Her four greatest seasons

Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

A poem in Vietnamese by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh
Translator: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography: Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Her four greatest seasons

In love, we climb every mountain
Your place on the ninth floor, an easy decision not
One step forward and two steps back
Looking up, I say: maybe I should stop!

Save me a place after-noon
Save me a place in love thus
Save plus a place where I may stand
When life is lonesome next to you

The heart lives inside our body
Unlike our clothes ready to show
If you continue to resent me
Đông village couldn’t say, Đoài village said what!

Seeing you for a minute to then leave
What is there more to say after that
Your heart is latched and tightly shut
Even in spring will the buds bloom if they must

Tomorrow when we’re apart
Don’t forget I was right here next…

View original post 263 more words

Ánh mắt đầu 

Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Coleman Barks’ RUMI
Translation into Vietnamese by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm
Photography by Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm

Ánh mắt đầu

Your first eyes

Trong người tình bốn dòng suối,

nước, rượu, mật, và sữa

Đừng nghĩ chi nếu khám phá được trong ta

ai-ai-đó nói

chi-chi kệ

Bông hồng bao giờ để ý

nếu ai đó gọi nó là gai, là là

Hoa nhài

Mắt thường xếp hạng từng người

Kia là Zoroastrian Đây Hồi Giáo

Bước thay với ánh mắt đã ban,

cặp mắt ngày đầu

Đừng nheo mắt, đừng chằm chằm như kền kền

Ai mê lửa vào lửa nhào

Con ruồi vào váng sữa trôi

Nếu bạn mê muốn vĩnh cửu,

than tiếc chi những gì dưới đất trôi đi vì mưa?

Cúi đầu trước bản chất của nhân loại

Sa mạc nốc máu của chiến trường,

nhưng nếu nó biết bí mật này, sẽ phọt ra…

View original post 290 more words

Brain Waves Can Tell Us How Much Pain Someone Is In – Slashdot

A study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that brain signals can be used to detect the severity of chronic pain, potentially leading to the development of personalized therapies for individuals suffering from severe pain conditions. MIT Technology Review reports: Researchers from the Univer…
— Read on science.slashdot.org/story/23/05/23/2226253/brain-waves-can-tell-us-how-much-pain-someone-is-in

Covid Kills One Every 4 Minutes as Vaccine Rates Fall, Despite End of Emergency – Bloomberg

After more than three years, the global Covid emergency is officially over. Yet it’s still killing at least one person every four minutes and questions on how to deal with the virus remain unanswered, putting vulnerable people and under-vaccinated countries at risk.
— Read on www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-23/covid-kills-one-every-4-minutes-as-vaccine-rates-fall-despite-end-of-emergency