Amid the days when the country is filled with colorful flags and flowers, joyfully looking forward to the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2, author Huynh Mai Lien introduced to Vietnamese readers a special collection of poems called "The Four seasons of flying flags".
This is the latest poetry collection by author Huynh Mai Lien, following the success of the poetry collections "The Sea is Children", "The Old Days of Children" and "Flying Over Hoan Kiem Lake".
From his trip to Truong Sa and those around him, his love for his homeland's sea and islands urged Huynh Mai Lien to put his heart into the pages of books and give the country a small gift cared for with all his heart.
Although written for children, The Four seasons of the flag flying still reaches readers of all ages with its sincerity, rusticity and deep patriotism. This is truly a precious literary gift, helping to nurture patriotism from the souls of children.
It is known that the poetry collection "four seasons of the flag flying" by author Huynh Mai Lien was inspired by the trips to Truong Sa, and gradually became a comedy when memories of the homeland's sea and islands returned to her memory, from the warm greetings to the mainland, the story of finding the moon at sea, the vast blue sky, the ship's whistle and resounding songs, and especially the lives of children on the island.
For a while, in the right corner next to her desk was always a small flag bearing the love stamps of Truong Sa. Therefore, The Four seasons of the flag flying will take readers on a special journey to Truong Sa where there is a small classroom that resounds with reading, where childhood blooms amidst the monsters of storms, where the red flag with yellow star flies, painting the shape of the country.
In the poetry collection, Truong Sa nature from Huynh Mai Lien's perspective is both majestic and lovely, not only posing like the border of the Fatherland, but also filled with a warm, close life like a roof. The female author's poems help the image of soldiers appear both rustic, approachable, and leave many memorable emotions.
Author Huynh Mai Lien said that he did not intend to find a separate path for everyone, just simply wishing to find what he was waiting for.
"I also struggled when I learned that young children were not allowed to go with their families to Truong Sa to visit relatives. But I realized the answer right next to me, it was the children living and studying in Truong Sa. And when I found that door, I was quite comfortable in composing.
I continued to compose according to my strengths with simple language and the melody of the metal sound. Sometimes I ask myself, are the big topics that I write a 4-5 word collection of poems suitable for? And I realized that the poetic language always has its own beauty for each writer to exploit. In poetry as well as in real life, I often live by emotions and respect my emotions" - author Huynh Mai Lien said.
Accompanying the poems of author Huynh Mai Lien is an illustration by the young artist - her daughter Mai Khue with a brilliant, beautiful color palette, the painting is more mature than her own.
Mai Khue is also an illustrator for many poetry collections of Huynh Mai Lien's mother. Although she is young, she has soon shown her talent in many fields. Children's Artist won the Special Prize in the "Don Hoa Phuong" composition Contest in 2019.
The resonance of these lovely poems and clear drawings makes the poetry collection "The Four seasons of the Football flying" become a bridge connecting the feelings of generations of readers before a common object, a beloved country. There, adults regain pride and warm memories, children are nurtured their first love for the sea and islands of the Fatherland:
There is a remote island
There is a sound of laughter from children
Where the red flag is
Print the image of Vietnam".
(Hello East Sea)
