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Chaos Amidst Beauty |
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Review by Stacee-Lynn Helms
Green Rice, Lam Thi My Da War. A powerful three letter word. A word so powerful it can stand alone. A word that can be a statement, question, action, solution and adjective. A word that can save and take lives, can bring joy and sorrow, cause beginnings and bring about ends. War means sacrifices will be made, lives will be destroyed, and amidst all the chaos we must still find the beauty in our land, country, and lives in order to survive. This undoubtedly poetic message of Vietnamese author Thi My Da in Green Rice, translated by Martha Collins and Thuy Dinh, a unique blend of bilingual poems that sheds light onto both sides of the Vietnam War, seen through the eyes of lovers, mothers, Vietnamese soldiers, Vietnamese locals and American soldiers. For Lam Thi My Da, these poems are not antiwar protests, but rather honest accounts and lessons brought about by troubled times. War. That powerful word makes young boys quiver until they are hardened men. In the poem, “The Face Beneath,” Lam Thi My Da discusses how war makes “deer” face their fears. They plead, “Don’t make me go into the thick jungle / or I will become a fierce wolf.” Ultimately many of those boys forced into manhood are killed in battle, yet “If you look under the wolf’s skin / You’ll find the red heart of an innocent deer.” The harsh reality of war turns an innocent heart into a blood-thirsty predator. The sincerity of these poems takes your breath away, and reminds you that you are still capable of breathing, unlike many of these fallen soldiers. War. War forces mothers to hide their tears and dismiss fears in order to protect their young. In Green Rice, we are reminded “As long as there is war, there will be orphans.” Lam Thi My Da discusses the unconditional bond between mother and child and all the happiness and laughter children can bring even in times of sorrow. Motherhood gives one joy that cannot be suppressed even by war. War. War does not stop the stars from glowing at night, the birds from chirping, flowers from blooming, the grass from growing, and the sun from shining. Green Rice, is filled with poems pleading for us to appreciate the everyday beauty that the earth has given us, even amidst chaos. It is important that we understand the earth because it will help us understand one another. Lam Thi My Da finds comfort and solace in the flowers and all the earth has to offer. Her poems are saturated with hope—hope for the healing of a painful past, hope for the present, hope for mankind, and hope for the future. If we do not have hope we are a barren field with no promise of future growth and development. War. War moves as quickly and strategically as time. Time haunts us with its ever present movement. In many poems, Lam Thi My Da embraces the journey into middle age and the inevitable changes that occur in ourselves and our lives. She accepts old age with grace and beauty. “I no longer regret / that I am not my old self.” She is content in her new skin and distant memories through which she is able to discover peace. As Lam Thi My Da writes in the poem,” A Deep Green Time” “The years between now and childhood thicken / but the melody can’t be forgotten,” neither can these beautiful poems of strength, perseverance and unconditional love. War. War makes us question our existence and appreciate everyday beauty. These poems will have your heart beating double-time, your mind thinking at light speed and your breath taken away. This collection of poems is a necessity for anyone with a heart. |
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