Dear Julian and Paddie,

Don't you know there was a change
The welcoming board with your names was given to me at the end
And you appeared with so big and fresh smile
To start a wonderful day
I did what I had to say
You have beautiful smiles, Paddie
That reflex the bright mind and soft heart
The day was just short
But a lot of memories
And love for peace
Thank you, Julian, for your love, your pictures and your pen
Bringing more and more precious friends
To my country Vietnam
Thank you for your poem for Lan
I like it so much
Thank you for your kindness
To help improve
My use of English I love
I will send you
Pieces of my thoughts
Wishing all the best
To Julian and Paddie
And your dearest family...

Dear Julian and Paddie,

I put my writing on my blog and rearranging it, when you have time, can you read and help me improve by giving some comment or correcting mistakes. Thanks.
Paddie, I hope you like our Vietnam's Ban Me Thuot Coffee.

Lan
http://lantourguide.blogspot.com/


--- On Tue, 4/10/12, Mediahelp - From Julian and Paddie.

Dear Lan,

Here, below, is one of my poems. It is about first love. It is about how when one has one's first love, it is uncomplicated, not sexual, but still with passion. But it must end and it will end, even though, when young lovers separate they may write to each other, the love will slowly drift away.
Some of the words and the way we write poetry may be hard for you because words have many meanings, but I hope you like it.
It was lovely to meet you and I have, at the end of this letter, written a very short poem just for you about our meeting. If I have the time to do it, I will try to help with your English writing, so do send some to us.
Lots of love,
Julian and Paddie. (Please see the two poems below: )

FIRST LOVE.

One summer, days of meaningless hours interrupting moments of precious moment,
No future sought, nothing given; no promise sought, no needs expressed,
Dark those eyes, cold those fragile hands, tall those slender forms hidden beneath the coarser cloth a fledgling wears,
No silks detract, no powder, grease nor scents,
In it's simplicity no barrier breaks the norms , no wrapping hides the cares or masks the looks or spoils the touch,

Letters bridge the distance of separation but dwindle for no reason
Words so tense and longing, yet quickly extinguished by time,
Knowing that the end is a certainty, not in a desire to end,
But in the inevitability that is an end when youth knows not of futures.
No goodbyes, no plaintive duty expressed, no last line, no last word.
Like accidental death it ends; No, like aged death it drifts away.
Where are you now? Must time have sullied that innocent beauty.?

FOR LAN ( Our new friend)

Like mist in the morning, you come to our lives, then fade away when the sun is high,
Gentle mist that washes away harsh thoughts, with song and poetry;
Gentle mist that brings calm and learning from millennia of meditation and lessons hidden from our culture;
Gentle mist that bridges two worlds, welcomes us and showers us with understanding.
Your world has suffered, but like the gentle petals of an early Spring now emerges into summer; flowering hope, a promise that all can renew itself.
And you, the gentle Mist, bathe those petals of hope with soft water nourishment,
We shall return and share our lives again.

Julian