THE NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS AND I
Why only one
Why not two
One moon, one bloom in the sky
One elusive cereus
Exiled to earth
The moon, the bereft sky
Oh cereus, I sit and watch
One silent bloom
One yearning self
Do you know me
Noble one?
Come, let’s lift our glasses
Our wine is the moon
What we have, what we don’t—
Just this wine intoxicates
Here, cherished flower
Are two full glasses
I am alone tonight
With one lone cereus, one bloom
We reflect each other’s faces
Their sorrow and joy
Why only one
Why not two
Feeling seeps up
Through your deep roots
For a moment I wish to be
A night-blooming cereus
To mate with solitude
And make two
—Translated by Martha Collins and Thuy Dinh
—from Rattle #21, Summer 2004
Tribute to Vietnamese Poets
