i move about a skeleton in a coat of ghosts beneath an old blue place people stop to say hello even offer hugs i smile & sometimes even a laugh comes out they don’t know i’m 3 parts ghost it’s all a show b/c everyone who really made me smile is gone they’re ghosts i wear around me like a cloak & when i’m in my room alone all i do is i cry listening to songs that make me remember all i’ve lost a skeleton w/ tear ducts from when i was alive & today they pass me & smile they don’t know my grin is a frown in disguise even when we shake hands they don’t notice my grip is all bone cuffs of ghosts at my wrists i’m just a skeleton in a coat of ghosts moving about beneath an old blue place
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suspended in the night
i woke in the wee hours of the night my arm numb from sleeping on it & i thought how we bring things into existence w/ our reins of vessels & circling blood & slim branches of nerves, etc… & while my arm slowly came back to life i lay there in silence straddling both worlds the unscrambled one & one of total nothingness the latter, of course my better acquaintance
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a visitation
i met my mother the day after her father suddenly died in the street 8 years before i was born she was in the laundrymat across the street from our old apartment in brooklyn asking herself out loud how dare the dryers spin? the machines turn? don’t they know that my father’s gone? & i was there next to her folding my clothes on a long white table twice her age i gave her my condolences i told her my mother died on a sunny day in june while the baseball game played loud on the hospital tv while i was there in the room & i asked the sun to stop what it was doing just for a moment but it kept on shining she stared at me as if she knew something said she was sorry & thank you & then looked away watching the towels lift & drop in the little round window & i picked up my basket & walked out into the blaze of my dream
Every morning I wake up, sitting next to the window by lakeside
I meditate by blue verses in the Lake Como
to start my long journey, to search for you,
the secret of Lake Como,
the beauty at the bottom of the heaven,
to make love with the witch
at 425 metres deep,
the ice melts.
2.Waves of Como
Take a ferry along lake Como
I am alone on the waves
in a cloudy morning
I race with myself
You don’t want me
Upset – depressed
What can I do with this destiny?
I am alone on the waves
I can’t hold you in my arm
Suddenly you become a stranger
You are not here, or there for me
What can I do with this destiny?
You are another world
This defeats me
My heart closes
My soul cries
What can I do with this destiny?
Close my eyes, I see only waves in lake Como
So strong waves inside me
Up and down, I am alone on the waves
Close my eyes, and I tell myself never give up
Dance my life, dance on the waves
Learn from this grief
Learn from this adversity
Never give up, I hold myself on the waves
Up and down, and I am alone,
alone on the waves
Adversity can become opportunity, problem can become possibility
Grow up gradually.
Kieu Bich Hau, a celebrated Vietnamese writer and cultural ambassador, is a member of the Vietnam Writers’ Association. Born in Hung Yen Province, Vietnam, she is a prominent voice in contemporary literature and an active editor for Writer & Life magazine (Vietnam), NEUMA magazine (Romania), and Humanity magazine (Russia).
She has received numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Prodigy Life Academy (USA) for her extraordinary contributions to literature. Recognized internationally, she serves as the Ambassador of Ukiyoto Publisher (Canada) to Vietnam and is the founder and head of Hanoi Female Translators, promoting literary exchange and empowerment.
With 28 published works spanning prose, poetry, and essays, Kieu Bich Hau’s creative achievements have been widely acclaimed. Her works have been translated into 20 languages, including English, Italian, Korean, and French, amplifying Vietnamese literature globally. She has also earned nine prestigious literary awards, such as the ART Danubius Prize 2022 for fostering Vietnamese-Hungarian cultural ties and the Great Award of Korea 2023 for promoting Vietnamese poetry and prose internationally.
As a cultural representative, she has participated in numerous global literary events, including the ASEAN-China Writers’ Forum (2019, China), the International Poetry Festival – Europa in Versi (2023, Italy), and the World Writers’ Meet (2024, India).
Kieu Bich Hau’s storytelling captures profound human experiences, blending Vietnamese traditions with universal themes. Through her tireless efforts as an author, editor, and cultural advocate, she continues to enrich global understanding of Vietnamese literature and culture.
