Dance with Spring - Khiêu vũ với mùa xuân

Grass dance - photo from loadpaper.com

Khiêu Vũ Với Mùa Xuân

đồi cỏ cao

nhảy múa cùng gió

hài hòa thơ nhạc

tuyệt như âm thanh của thác 


Đó là những lời 
từ con trai bốn tuổi 
Bạch Thanh Kiệt
của chúng tôi

Dance with Spring

A hill of tall grass

dancing with the wind

harmonizing with poetry and music

like the sound of the waterfall


Most of these words 
are from our four-year-old son, Kiet Bach.

Sacramento, April - 2013.

Fragrance of Hoa Quỳnh (Epiphyllum)

Hoa Quỳnh - Epiphyllum oxypetalum flower

Fragrance of Hoa Quỳnh (Epiphyllum)

The 16th night of a summer lunar month unfolds, 

who is waiting for each other? 

The parted clouds just show the moon 

Hoa Quỳnh (Epiphyllum - Queen Of the Night Flower) blooms 

as a snow white to show its elegance and pureness. 

With sureness 

Quỳnh’s rarity magnificence soothe our soul 

Its blossom lifespan is about 4 hours and short as a scroll 

If life begins and ends in that blossom lifespan

What do we do in between?

The beauty of the here and now.

…Time is bobbing as a thread 

Quỳnh’s fragrance is so attractive that make us floating like a wed. 

What a beauty - the Queen Of the Night Flower and its fragrance. 

Buổi Sáng Pháp Hoa - Morning Lotus

Ảnh - Trương Kim Anh gởi

Buổi Sáng Pháp Hoa

Vũ trụ trong giọt sương
Lung linh và huyền ảo
Mây ngàn tâm hoàn hảo
Trí tuệ của tự tâm.

Morning Lotus

The universe is in the dew drops
Sparkling and fanciful
Realizing the dew are clouds
- a state of being
The wisdom of the mind itself.

Spring, 2013.
Sacramento, CA.

Bước Chân Thong Thả / Peaceful Steps

                                                         Hoa Mơ - ảnh Lương Vân Các

Bước Chân Thong Thả

Hoa rơi kín cả mặt hồ
Nhớ mùa hoa nở Anh Đào nên thơ
Hoa rơi hương tóc thẫn thờ
Gió bay mộng ảo lững lờ khói sương.

Peaceful Steps

Which flowers covered the still lake?

Remembering the cherry blossom season with its poetic rhythms

Is it the rain of flowers petals or your hair floating freely?

As the gentle breeze blew
Is it a virtual dream or reality?

Chợt Tỉnh

                                                                  My parents - photo: BXK

Chợt Tỉnh

buổi sáng
chim hót vang
như lời ru ngọt ngào
buổi sáng 
mở mắt ra
ôi trời xanh lồng lộng
buổi sáng
nắng vàng khoe
ôi mênh mông cuộc đời
buổi sáng 
ôi mùa xuân
chim líu lo
như lời kinh nhiệm mầu
buổi sáng 
ôi bài thơ
vô ngôn/ngân nga 
tuyệt vời
buổi sáng…

COMES AND GOES

                                                      Between the two sides - Ra sức - ảnh Đức Quảng

Click vào đây để đọc tiếng Việt

COMES AND GOES

It is cold
Winter is on its way
A sleeping town
The trees are bare of all leaves
Wide roads, deserted
Heavy rain dances every episode
Ragged leaves lie on the ground,
Yet there are rays of intrigue, sunshine
Leaves are lying about in disorder, in the way
and wet.
Yet, I realized the sequence of nature
Bud-Flower-Leaf-Branch
Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter
or Form-Stay-Change-Emptiness
or Birth- Remain-Change-Death.
The rain is dancing once again
 A few worms move to higher ground
 From the saturated water to find life.
And where is it from?
Is it the Law of Cause and Effect or Creator
And where is it going then?
Comes and goes
Gone and came
Amid the chilled cold, suffering and dissatisfaction
I avoid touching it
Surely it will be scolded
Death or as bait for birds
The dying body, this body - like Tibetans – are one-time sacrificing for others
Enrich the others and/or continuation
No traces of the grave (tomb)
Finally disappeared;
The silent withered flowers
Footsteps are bathed with the heart beats
Where are we going?
From where are we coming?
Karma and Laws of Cause and Effect
Infinite
Interdependence
Infinite
A fine path between the two sides.

December 1st, 2012. 
Sacramento, CA.

Published in Chanh Phap's monthly Magazine.

Thơ Haiku Tình Lam - Xuân Hạ Thu Đông

                                                      Beautiful laughs of GDPT Kim Quang

Thơ Haiku Tình Lam - Xuân Hạ Thu Đông

hoa Lam vừa nở

nuôi dưỡng từ tâm

hương lam muôn thuở

nắng mai khoe sắc

lặng lẽ hư không

tình thương trong mắt

tiếng lá xôn xao

vàng khoe mặt đất

yêu nhau thuở nào

tuyết phủ kín rào

trăng xanh đang đợi

tình Lam lao xao.

Jan. 11th, 2010.

A Modest Garden and the Preview of poetry book - AWAKEN: Buddhism, Nature, and Life

                       The gift from a beautiful heart - Photo BXK

A friend, Helen Alexander, once wrote a A BOOK REVIEW for me.  We meet each other at the Toastmaster club, named Bits ‘N Speeches - the best club in District 39. We often learn and respect  each other.  This pass week, I got a surprise check from her in supporting of me, especially to buy supplies for my chemistry classes.  Her thoughts and supports are greatly appreciated.  I just want to take this opportunity to post an old poem that I wrote about her to thank and honor her.  Happy holidays to all of you. 

A Modest Garden 
             To Helen

A garden of azalea
vibrant and brilliant color
like beautiful thoughts and words
that you're presenting to your friends, families and others
whatever and whoever it might be.
It must be a humble and honored experience
to receive such gift.
a gift from a compassionate heart 
and a light-spirited soul.
With me
it is indescribable.


                         A BOOK REVIEW by Helen Alexander

AWAKEN: Buddhism, Nature, and Life

     From a young man who began life in Vietnam and matured in America, we receive a precious gift.   Phe X. Bach, a high school teacher in Sacramento, CA, has written a book of poetry.  This book is the synthesis of his background in Buddhism, his observations of two distinct cultures, and his life in two families.

     From his background in Vietnam, we see through the eyes of a growing boy in a loving family. He sees garbage on the streets.  He learns Buddhism as he grows.  He comes to America.

     Here, he develops his own family, with wife and child(ren).  He sees injustices and inequality.  He also sees the beauty of nature, and the love of people.  He notes the distinctions between the heights of Buddhist ideals and the daily lives of himself and others he loves. 

     Regardless of our faith backgrounds, we, too, can see through Phe’s eyes.  Regardless of our ethnicities, we, too, can see the unity of all persons.  We share his ideals of universal compassion, family love, and appreciation of the simple beauties of nature.  We want to share the simple, loving, viewpoint from which he centers his life.

       Read this book of poems.  You will be entranced by their simplicity.  You will be spellbound by their beauty.  You will be encompassed by their love.  Whatever your faith or your position in life, these poems will speak to you!

Helen Alexander
4-16-12

Bio: Helen Alexander

Helen Alexander met Phe Bach in a community speaking group, Bits ‘N Speeches.  The two shared their joys and trials in learning to improve their public speaking skills.

They found they also shared their love of Buddhism, education, social justice, and community service.  Helen is honored to comment on this book of poetry written by her esteemed friend. 

                                      INTRODUCTION

Phe X. Bach is the living reflection of the Bodhisattva, in both his daily life, and in his poetry.  In life, he is an unassuming man.  He meets with others socially: his face eager with anticipation to interact with them, his smile encouraging to others, and his hug a warm welcome to them.

            When Phe lectures or teaches, his topic is often Buddhism.  He lets others know about the basics of Buddhism, as well as the importance of leadership, and the value of a lifelong education.  Phe actively educates in his high school teaching job, as well as in his guidance of young Buddhist students, and in his lectures to adults in the community.

            The poems you will discover in this book reflect the Phe I know in the world.  He bases his life on the principles of Buddhism.  He follows the example of Buddhist leaders, in his everyday experience.  He explains Buddhist principles to others, at their levels of understanding.  He writes poetry based on Buddhism, as well.  Even the proceeds of this book go toward the furtherance of Buddhist practice and education.

            The poetry reflects Phe’s background in the Vietnamese culture.  Many poems describe aspects of his family, and of his hometown in Vietnam.  Several compare and contrast the virtues and the vices of both cultures.  Phe particularly describes, with exquisite visual imagery in words, his impressions of the two cultures in which he has developed.

            The poems reflect Phe’s encounters with himself within nature.  Phe lets us picture his world through his words.  We see the impermanence of floating clouds, the perfection of a dewdrop, the vision of the full moon.  We see the forest, in its unsullied natural condition, and after humankind has left it less beautiful.

            Phe shows us, through his poems, the worldview of the Bodhisattva: one who rejects the calm of nirvana, in order to assist other people to discover Buddhism in this world.  Phe particularly emphasizes his distaste of our societies, both East and West, as we toss garbage into our environment.  He compares that to the way in which our corporate society treats individuals as garbage, as well.  His abhorrence of this practice is evident, which goes along with his personal development of karuna, or compassion.

            At the same time, Phe is not exclusive in his attitude.  To a Buddhist, he is a member of the sangha.  To a Hindu, he is a householder yogi.  To a Christian, he is a loving and compassionate individual.  To a secular humanist, he is a sensitive man.  These poems can be read by people of any religious persuasion.  Only a few poems will be incomprehensible, due to their emphasis on more advanced Buddhism.

            Enjoy these poems!  They reveal in delicate, visual and tactile imagery the simple but full life of a loving and compassionate man—a man who values family, nature, community, and a desire for unity with life’s source.   By savoring these poems you, too, will appreciate your world more fully!

Helen Alexander, Sacramento, CA

How to buy books:

http://smile.amazon.com/AWAKEN-Buddhism-Nature-Vision-Vietnamese/dp/1499681275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401218835&sr=1-1

http://smile.amazon.com/Tuong-Niem-Tri-Vietnamese-Edition/dp/1499682034/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401218736&sr=8-1

MỪNG TUỔI CHỊ BA

                   Wishing you a wonderful 50th birthday sis.

MỪNG TUỔI CHỊ BA

Mừng tuổi Chị năm mươi
Mong Chị luôn vui cười
Sống bao dung hỷ xả
Cho đời càng thêm tươi.

Sacramento, December 16th, 2012.

ANOTHER DAY PASSED - in different languages

                          My Father-in-law's garden - Another Day Passed - Photos by BXK
For Vietnamese version, click here.

ANOTHER DAY PASSED

This early morning, waking up - do we forget to watch mist on the leaf?

or enjoy at the blue sky

Did we miss a chance to look at the oak tree in front of the house?

The road passing by the cemetery,

but to and from where?

The gas station on the left,

little house on the quiet hill

remind a time...

I see a small white cloud

suspending/floating in the blue sky

form and disappear

like the fog

like the rain

like the snowflake

or sources of poetry

as if it is the shadow--presence or absence;

there is or there is not

Do you think so?

Another day passed

do we not use it effectively? is it stolen or forgotten?

Why did I write a poem without beginning or ending

no rhythms or flow

there is nothing wrong with it

(if one) not to mention

pleasure / happiness

right / wrong

white / black

pain / suffer

or sadness / melancholy

The time is passing

and we look at our lives

clearly

as as-is

dew is still clinging on the leaf

air--chilly.

Phe Bach
Sacramento, November 26th, 2012.

Прошел еще день

Этим ранним утром, просыпаясь – забываем мы посмотреть на туман на листе?

или насладиться синим небом?

Упустили мы шанс посмотреть на дуб перед домом?

Дорога мимо кладбища -

но куда и откуда?

Заправочная станция слева,

маленький домик на тихом холме

напоминают о времени...

Я вижу, как маленькое белое облако,

плавающее в синем небе,

появляется и исчезает,

как туман,

как дождь,

как снежинка

или источник поэзии.

Как будто это тень – наличие или отсутствие;

есть или нет.

Вы так думаете?

Прошел еще день.

Разве мы эффективно его использовали?  Он украден или забыт?

Почему я написал стихотворение без начала и окончания,

без ритма и плавности?

Нет ничего плохого в нем

(если), не говоря уже об

удовольствии / счастьи,

правильном / неправильном,

белом / черном,

боли / страдании

или грусти / тоске.

Время идет,

и мы смотрим на нашу жизнь

отчетливо,

как отчетлива

роса, все еще держащаяся на листе

на холодном воздухе.

Phe Bach

Сакраменто, 26 ноября 2012 года.

(Translated by Oleg Petrik)

又一天過去

清晨醒來 - 我們忘了看那葉片上的霧嗎？

或享受看那蔚藍的天空

我們是否錯過了屋前的的橡樹？

一條經過墓地的道路，

來自何方？去向何處?

左邊的加油站，

靜謐的山上的小房子

提醒著時間的流逝...

我看到一朵白色的小雲

暫停/漂浮在蔚藍的天空

形成和消失

像霧

像雨

像雪花

或像詩的起源

彷彿它的影子 - 存在或不存在;

有或沒有

你也如此認為嗎？

又一天過去

我們不能善用它嗎？它是被盜了或是被遺忘了？

為什麼我寫了一首詩,沒有開始也沒有結束

無韻律也不流暢

卻又一無不妥

（倘若有的話），無妨

快樂/幸福

對/錯

白色/黑色

疼痛/痛苦

或悲傷/憂鬱

歲月流逝。

我們所期待的生活

明確地

一如是

露水依然附著在葉上

冷風蕭瑟 - 。

(Translated by Bih-yuan Yang)

又一天过去

清晨醒来 - 我们忘了看那叶片上的雾吗？

或享受看那蔚蓝的天空

我们是否错过了屋前的的橡树？

一条经过墓地的道路，

来自何方？去向何处?

左边的加油站，

静谧的山上的小房子

提醒着时间的流逝...

我看到一朵白色的小云

暂停/漂浮在蔚蓝的天空

形成和消失

像雾

像雨

像雪花

或像诗的起源

仿佛它的影子 - 存在或不存在;

有或没有

你也如此认为吗？

又一天过去

我们不能善用它吗？它是被盗了或是被遗忘了？

为什么我写了一首诗,没有开始也没有结束

无韵律也不流畅

却又一无不妥

（倘若有的话），无妨

快乐/幸福

对/错

白色/黑色

疼痛/痛苦

或悲伤/忧郁

岁月流逝。

我们所期待的生活

明确地

一如是

露水依然附着在叶上

冷风萧瑟 - 。
(Translated by Bih-yuan Yang)