Colin, Cheryl and I was walking by the lady vendors.
-
Some bananas, please!
Colin and Cheryl
paused, looked at the ladies with bamboo baskets
full of fruits.
A voice in me says: Why not entertain Colin and Cheryl and these
ladies with a poetry performance of
bamboo pole?
Everybody is happy with my offer. I started, in Vietnamese first, of course, as
the Vietnamese language is very romantic, full of music, and deeply express my feeling, my love for the bamboo
pole, a typical symbol of poor Vietnamese lady vendors, especially my own
mother, working very hard to support
their families and sending children to school for brighter future.
An English version came after for more understanding.
Bamboo Poles
Dear bamboo poles
On the shoulders of my mothers
Have brought me up in life
Heavy burdens
Bringing joys to children
I remember
Mother coming home
After a long day in market
Bamboo baskets
Full of gifts and food
Swinging at the two ends
Of the long pole
On the shoulders of my mother
At that time
I was a child
I was so eager
To welcome Mom
Coming home with smiles so sweet and
things nice to eat
As I grow up
I understand
Mother’s burden is heavy
To make my life easy
She worked hard days and nights
To make my future bright
Oh, Mother’s love
So high, so deep
Oh, bamboo poles
Dear poles, great poles
On the shoulders of my mother
Have brought me up with love
I was happy that the two ladies, Colin and Cheryl loved the performance and that Colin and Cheryl bought some bananas from an elderly lady.
