Thơ Dã Thảo

Diary of A Rainy Day

when the sun goes behind
clouds and rain starts pouring
down my mind returns to
the old rainy days when

I was lonely, walking
wet in rain, you once told
me you loved so much walking
in rain, laughed at me carrying

a huge black umbrella
while the tiny bubbles
did not even wet your
hands, oh the rain oh the

rain, over my childhood
roads, oh the rain oh the
rain, over the less traveled
roads, raining on the very

familiar walkway
this chilly afternoon
to the almost empty
cafeteria when I

am not carrying the
big black umbrella and
not seeing your smile
anywhere

Original in English by the author

Faraway Love

I still go by here every day,
buildings tall and old as always,
the balcony a light color
and low where you used to place
your hands talking to the absent-
minded friends while watching me walk
by every morning. But now
you are no longer standing there
in the sun to greet me with smiles
sometimes bright; if I look back at
you by the low balcony,
sometimes I see only a wink
behind my footsteps that passes
by and disappears into your
dark glasses, that would not return
until lunch when we are in the
cafeteria in the fleeting
moments of noon hurried with everyday
things, we speak of the crackbrained and
bragging boss, lay-offs past, now and
coming soon; stories about being
in jail, about world terror, mostly
about broken things (although we
do not miss them we still think of
them), stories about you and a
young girl who speaks the same language
but is not of the same skin
color, about me and a young
boy who is not the same skin
color and speaks the same language
but never stories about us
alone. I go by everyday
buildings, tall as always; the talker
by the balcony is no longer,
the greeting in the sun no longer,
the morning smiles no longer,
eyes quietly warming; you have
left me before I could tell you
about my refugee roots, my first
generation immigration
and the minority community
Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish,
Cambodians, Indonesians,
Cubans, and Malaysians; and all
you know is that I am a citizen
of a mixed race nation I love
to work I am lazy at playing
I like brad pitt I am not
addicted to soccer I am
not obsessed with football I
like jazz I love hiphop I
am a different skin color, speak
a different language, am with
the same company. Now that
you are gone, I miss you much!!!
(but I do not say as much because it
does not count for anything anyway.)

Translated by Đỗ Vinh

Paper Cover: Amazing Rainy Day Paintings by Gregory Thielker
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2010/10/amazing-rainy-day-paintings-by-gregory.html

Nhật Ký Ngày Mưa

Khi mặt trời khuất sau mây
và mưa bỗng đổ lênh láng
tôi nhớ về những ngày cũ
xưa lẻ loi bước trong mưa

anh xưa có lần bảo yêu
thiết tha lang thang trong mưa
cười diễu nhìn tôi ôm
chiếc dù đen to tổ chảng

những hạt mưa bong bóng nhỏ
xíu nào đủ ướt đôi tay
ô mưa rơi ô mưa rơi
trên những con đường tuổi thơ

ô mưa ơi ô mưa rơi
trên lối vắng người lại qua
mưa rơi trên lối mòn rất
quen buổi chiều sắt se đến

cafeteria trống vắng
không chiếc dù đen tổ chảng
và nụ cười anh vắng bóng.