Collage #41

When the sun was covered

By the moon in the daytime

Me and my brother

Went out of the house

To look up the sky

Mama had given us

Each a pair of glasses

Of magical power

Granting us special vision

To see Heaven in action

We’re no strangers to magic

Where at Disney we experienced

With Family this summer

We spent time together

Walking, running, and riding strollers

Exhausting ourselves

Taking rails, boats, and buses

From one kingdom to another

Searching for moments

Of magical delights

Exploring what was new

Repeating what was fun

Enjoying shows at dusk

With fireworks and lights

Not minding the lines

And the heat of July

When at last it was

Time to say goodbye

I’d bonded with Bà

‘Twas sad to let her go

When we got back home

I called out for her

But she did not come

We will have to skype

Till we meet again

I hope her summer

Is as good as mine

Disney 2017

When Disney calls, you’ve got to go

Imagine yourself soaring in the sky

On the Magic Carpets’ ride

Maybe the rockets will take you high

When your feet are no longer on the ground

And you’re surrounded with joyful sounds

You will feel a new sensation

That fills you with awe and admiration

You can go to Never Land in a galleon

Looking at the city of London in wonderment

Over the sea you’ll watch mermaids sway

While pirates are fighting hard to earn their stay

Magic Kingdom will deliver magical fun

When Mama says go, I’ll be ready in a heartbeat

It’s A Small World we went twice

Just because it was peaceful and nice

And Mama did not mind

And Bà said she’d go anywhere with us for a ride

So we took her to many more places we know she’d adore

Like Winnie the Pooh where lives a bear as sweet as honey

And Under the Sea where a mermaid sings beautifully

The Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is full of dizzying actions

While you don’t have to move through the Carousel of Progress

The Haunted Mansion was dark and mysterious

The Pirates of the Caribbean were scary too

But what gave me the most uncomfortable thrills

Were the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad when it roars

And the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train when it runs

At Hollywood Studio I was a Jedi

I got to train with other Jedi knights

I got on stage to face Darth Vader in person

When, with the blue saber, I bravely fought

And was satisfied

That neither of us had to cry

In the Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Ariel woke from her spell and got both feet and Prince

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a terror

But it is Bà’s favorite so I had to try

The Star Tours was more fun than the Great Movie Ride

So I did not mind going through it twice

The Toy Story Mania! was really really wild

Dada is the champion of our family in this game of cannon fires

We loved the Kilimanjaro Safaris of Animal Kingdom

Early in the morning when the animals did not hide

They also wandered the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Gorilla Trail

At Rafiki’s Planet Watch, we brushed the goats and listened to the rain forests’ soul

On the Triceratop Spins Milli loved to go round and round

When we were not so occupied in the Boneyard playground

The Kali River Rapids was fun at all times

Though it scared me that its red rocks were lit up at night

In a different way than the amazing Rivers of Light

I’d pick the Na’vi River Journey in the new Pandora section

Over the scary Dinosaur Dinosaur anytime

The Festival of The Lion King was one of our musts

But I did not understand the allure of the Expedition Everest

It was the adults of our group who willingly split up to ride

At Epcot we had pictures taken with our Disney Pals

Then we went on the search for Nemo at Seas with Nemo and Friends

We were mesmerized by the fishes and turtles of SeaBase

We’d have stayed longer but there were places to go

I rode with Bà again on the Spaceship Earth

Alas again the camera did not capture a photo of me!

We boated down the Frozen Ever After stream that we missed last year

And enjoyed a firework send-off from Queen Elsa and her friends

I could not try my hands at Test Track for there was no time

But we were happy to see Illuminations before turning in for the night

If you ask Bà which park she loves the best

She probably would not be able to tell

How do you choose among the different light shows

Each is a magnificent work of arts of beautiful sounds and sights

I didn’t know that I’d cry at Blizzard Beach

Not because of a rough ride but because I loved the icerbergs too much

At Leisure Pool I did not get to show more of my prowess

But I forgot my sorrow at the Melt-Away Bay and Cross Country Creek with Milli

I have to admit it wasn’t love at first sight

The steep slides that pretend to be snow slopes gave me the willies

The chairlifts look like they would tilt down and dump their riders in a heap

The words of assurance from the adults didn’t soothe me

When I saw them hurl their bodies down Summit Plummit’s vertical drop

But once I lay on my belly to be pulled down the Toboggan Racers course

And swirling and churning down the Snow Stormers, I clamored for more

Then I found the most thrilling ride of the week

Here at Blizzard Beach

The Teamboat Springs, the longest raft ride of all, has definitely become my favorite.

100-word story for Lan's birthday

A man is driving across the country by himself. He started out in Richland. The road is long and lonely. He is tired. He does not have many options. He must reach Urbana before the fall semester begins. He and his wife had planned this trip months ago. At the end, she did not go with him. He wishes her here to keep him company and help him drive. He is an emotional wreck. He just became a daddy. His newborn daughter came six weeks early. His wife stayed behind until they are ready to join him. He is thankful.

Poem For Little Birds

I know you will come

Like birds’ songs in the human forest

I do not know the reason

You’ve chosen this path –

A journey of woe and pain

Perchance in a tiny fraction of time

Sunlight was born

From the sun’s red teary eyes

Faith came from the innocence of children’s songs

Sung by boys herding their buffalos on the dry grass

And you… by following the call of the wind

You’ve come

In the drifting dreams of mine

I feel the mother’s body like the Queen of the Night

Moving step-by-step with the rhythm of time

She blooms gloriously in darkness

And you are the golden silk threads of her heart, exuding fragrance

Of love

And in the secrecy of my dreams

I saw you ride the wild wind

And land below

You were so proud on high, now on earth your first cry burst forth

Your first tears would nourish the green buds

Life would flourish because of you

And because of you I’d know

Of rebirth

When the city joyously put on a new coat

And things would go on thanks to you

You’ve come despite the insanity of it all

Flowers blossomed from the blood drops of sundown

Fire resumed from the grey ashes

Lessons of humanity continue

From generations to generations

From one misery to the next

And you… do not ask yourself if it was for pain or for love

But march on… bravely march on, rain or shine

There are arrows with no directions

The wind can change from a gentle breeze to be angry, sad, cold, or rough

There are limits to what one can do

A smile can be seen on the lips of the dead

While the living can walk around spiritless

Let’s not think about it

Life is an olio to chew on

Which can paralyze the tongue, bleed the lips, or destroy the teeth

One may need to stop chewing

And start all over with a detox

Perhaps there is no other choice

Do come when you’re ready

Just do not utter hateful words while wearing human skin

But be sweet like a songbird

Singing love songs

Without anger or hatred

Without doubts or deceit

Life will soon enough give you

Stormy nights

Translated from Thơ Cho Chim Nhỏ - Nguyễn Thị Thanh Bình

November 2016

THƠ CHO CHIM NHỎ

Ờ rồi thì con cũng sẽ đến

Như tiếng chim kêu trong cánh rừng nhân gian

Ôi làm sao ta biết được lý do nào

Con đã chọn cuộc đời

Làm chuyến hành trình khổ não

Có thể trong một khoảnh khắc tình cờ

Nắng cũng đã được sinh ra

Từ đôi mắt đỏ lệ của mặt trời

Niềm tin khai sáng từ những tiếng hát đồng

dao ngây thơ

Của những mục tử quẩn quanh bờ cỏ cháy

Và con… thôi hãy vì những tiếng gió reo

trên cây

Mà đến

Trong những cơn mơ bồng bềnh

Ta thấy thân xác người mẹ như đóa quỳnh

Xê dịch từng nhịp thở thời gian

Đêm nở bừng khai hoa

Và con cao khi là lòng nhụy tơ nõn tỏa

hương kỳ diệu

Của tình yêu

Cũng trong những giấc mơ bí mật

Ta thấy con cỡi trên những bạt ngàn của gió

Mà đáp xuống

Con kiêu hãnh như thế sao phải vì trần

gian mà khóc

Ơi những hạt rụng nước mắt đầu đời đã

cấy lên những mầm xanh

Sự sống từ đây sẽ nhờ con mà mọc

Ta cũng sẽ nhờ con mà biết được

Ngày tháng hồi sinh

Thành phố rộn ràng thay áo mới

Tất cả sẽ vì con để tuần hoàn tiếp diễn

Con cứ đến mặc cho thế giới đang dở

chứng cuồng điên

Hoa nở từ những giọt máu sót lại của

hoàng hôn

Những ngọn lửa khơi dậy từ những tàn tro

Bài học yêu thương nhân loại vẫn cứ rền

rền rao giảng

Từ thế hệ cha đến thế hệ con

Từ những tím bầm này đến những tím bầm nọ

Và con… xin đừng hỏi tôi sinh ra để khởi

sự đau thương hay yêu thương

Cứ bước tới… hãy mạnh dạn đến bên cuộc

đời dù nắng mưa bất thường

Có những mũi tên vô tình không định hướng

Có những cơn gió dịu dàng, phẫn nộ, vui,

buồn, lạnh, chướng

Có những giới hạn của con người

Có những người chết mới ngậm cười

Có những người sống chẳng khác đười ươi

Có cần gì phải thắc mắc trời ơi

Cuộc đời một món xào thập cẩm

Cố nhai đi nhai lại chỉ tổ làm tê lưỡi / rụng

răng / rướm máu môi

Sẽ có lúc không buồn nhai nữa

Con người và cuộc đời đều cần đến món

thuốc xổ

Đành rằng sẽ không còn một sự lựa chọn

nào khác

Nên con cứ đến ừ thì con cứ đến

Nhưng xin con đừng tập nói tiếng loài ác

thú đội lớp người

Hãy cứ líu lo như chim nhỏ

Bài hát tin yêu

Không vướng mắc hận thù

Không nghi ngờ giả dối

Rồi cuộc đời sẽ dạy cho chim

Giông bão.

A Weekend

Right after I’ve read, considered, and deleted an email offer for two nights of hotel stay somewhere in our capital city of Washington DC at a good discount, Tom called and asked, “Would you like to stay in a hotel for two nights?” I was dumbstruck and could only utter a tentative “Why?” It turned out that Tim, our friendly neighbor, somehow had an empty and already-paid-for room in a local hotel due to an early departure of one of his clients’. Tom explained that we’d check in on the same day and can stay for two nights. I said, “Yes.”

When Tom confirmed that it was a go, he didn’t give me much time to pack. I quickly assembled a weekend worth of clothing and accessories. On the way out, I thought of my camera but decided against it, figuring it was time for me to try to take more photos with my iPhone.

It was just a right time to spend two nights away from home in a local hotel. A few days earlier, it was Tim who heard and alerted us to a racket our outside A/C unit made. Tom turned the unit off and made a call to a company recommended by our online Nextdoor neighborhood community. Then he took off to take our out-of-town relatives on a sight-seeing trip and left me home alone to deal with the HVAC technician. When the technician quoted a $1k price tag to fix the unit, I figured it was time to retire it, given that it had served us well for 20 years and that someone had recommended its replacement three years earlier and its life expectancy is less than 20 years. Ron said I should replace the heating unit at the same time. I said perhaps I should replace the water heater as well. Ron agreed. He sent his boss over to give me an estimate. Before Carl gave me the estimate, he asked when I would decide on the new system. It might not have been the best response, but I said, “Right away because I don’t have A/C.” I didn’t have time to shop around. I just hoped we had picked the right company. Carl assured me he gave me a great deal and that I’d love his company. He didn’t rush off but spent time talking. It was strange that we, two strangers on a business transaction, talked politics on our first meeting, but we did. As we talked, I sensed that we were not totally on the same wavelength, but it was okay. Carl seemed to be a nice guy.

For a few days since Ron and Carl came, Tom and I were without the full service of our A/C. We had the fan on. The A/C unit is not yet completely dead, so I turned it on occasionally before Tom would turn it off again. The indoor temperature was somehow bearable. I don’t know if Tim knew we were without an A/C, but if we needed to pick a perfect time to spend in a local hotel room, this was it.

When we got to our hotel, we didn’t even have to wait in line. We were recognized as Tim’s guests and were given the keys to our room on the fourth floor. From our room, we could see the theater we once had season tickets for and the surrounding restaurants. We went to a restaurant we knew and had a “love boat,” which is a combination of maki, nigiri, and sashimi. After dinner, we got ourselves gelato for dessert at a gelato store. Back to our room, we relaxed with chocolates, vlahovac, and limoncello brought from home. Tom was excited that we were going to sleep under a blanket, and we did.

Tom was going to skip his morning run with his running partner, but when Didier suggested to change it to Sunday, their off day, Tom felt guilty and went back to running. Tom got back from running before breakfast was served. We decided to chill out and do things we would not normally do. After breakfast, we went to the Reston Farmers’ Market. The market opens at 8 a.m. and we approached it around 8:15 a.m. Cars were already parked on the streets and extended 2-3 blocks away on each side of Lake Anne Plaza. We didn’t even try the Lake Anne parking lot, but drove on and parked a few blocks away on a side street. Tom thought there got to be something else going on, but the traffic was truly just for the Farmers’ Market. That is amazing. We took our time at the market. We sat at the lake for a while, snapping pictures and enjoying the view. Tom held conversations with a few vendors and people carrying petitions for Reston residents to sign. I fulfilled my plan to buy at least one item from the market. I got a basil plant and a soap bag. Afterwards, we went to a nearby park and ate some of the peaches Tom bought. Tom found a chess table and wanted to pretend to be thinking of a move. He currently plays on-line chess with two people.

My phone stopped working while we were at the park. We went back to the hotel so we could refresh ourselves, put the basil plant and peaches away, and see if my phone needed charging. Then we checked out the brewery that Tim told us about. We were hoping to have lunch at the brewery. But when we got there, we were amazed at the line of customers, which wrapped around a corner and as far as we could see, to another corner of the complex. We asked a guy who was pulling a cooler full of beer to his car about the wait. He said he was in line at 9:45 a.m. The brewery opened at 11 a.m. and it was after noon at the time. We didn’t think any beer was worth waiting in line for. We discovered a vegetarian restaurant and had lunch there.

We wanted to visit the Reston Nature Center in the afternoon. We had not been to the Nature Center since it was rebuilt. On the way to Reston, we swung by the brewery again to see if there was still a line. It was about 12:45 p.m. and there was no more line. The brewery doesn’t sell food, only beer. They release only one kind of beer at a time. We were told each of us was limited to three four-packs and it costs $17 a pack. Tom said one pack is enough, thank you very much. Tom couldn’t understand why people stood in line for more than two hours to spend $17 on a 4-pack of beer. As I said something about next time, something like we’d know when to show up, Tom interrupted me with “There will be no next time.” Although Tom complained about the price tag, he admitted it was a very good beer when we split a 16-oz can for dinner later.

The Nature Center closed at 1 p.m., but we got there just in time to get a map of the trails. We took one of the trails to Lake Audubon. There’s a pretty pond at the Nature Center with many dragon flies. I wished I had my camera then. I couldn’t capture the dragon flies with my iPhone. Then we took a cross-county trail that Tom remembers from the time we lived in Reston. The tall trees gave us shade and it was a nice day to hike. The trail was very narrow and we figure we’d suffer later if any of the plants along the path were poison ivy.

After the hikes, I took a nap while Tom went to the pool. We liked lunch so much that Tom went back to the same place to buy dinner. He brought the food back to our hotel room which has a kitchenette. The beer was great with the spicy Indian food. Afterwards, we curled up in bed and finished up our vlahovac and limoncello while watching television.

It was a nice unexpected vacation. It’d be perfect if I could tell you we had a new A/C when we got home. However, I can tell you that it was 72 degrees as we pulled the car into our garage at 8:15 a.m. and that was not bad - not bad at all.