--- M I E N   D A N G

Abandon yourself
The window bar decanters the slanting sunlight
Shape of a creature that knows how to sulk 
Urgent howls of crazy love talks
Curse in the filthiest language
Let's try to kiss each other 
I borrow the soft parts of the lips
To reconstruct a ravaged face 
Rotating upward the pupils
Roots like tangled lightning elongate 
Reddened the cruel dawn 
Doddering love's black magic
Killer pupils
Doubts then modesty
On pale pink cheeks
The skin has become musty here
In panic the river licks the bank
Joy erupts
And who are you?
I save for you grief on round breasts 
How can I wait?
And what would I be? 
What's repulsive hidden deep inside the uterus
I want to pierce shame into you
And what would we be?
I want to see you laugh
A trembling puppet bursting
A hand on shrunken testicles
Opening wide the flat chest 
Flash frozen the self-absorbed lonely substance
To escape raggedness by stripping naked
Tickle and laugh
Laugh! 


                      Jan 26, 2002



translated from the Vietnamese by Linh Dinh