Share this:

Le Thi Cong Nhan on trial

I have just received the English translation of a poem, from a dear friend who has a special heart for Vietnam. The author, Le Thi Cong Nhan, who is 30 years old, is an uncompromising activist and Christian lawyer. She was imprisoned in Vietnam from 2007 to 2010 for trying to help an independent labor union to organize. As ir is obvious from this text, she did not lose her spirit!

You may find HERE my previous post on her release from prison.

Her poem reflects the same longing for freedom, that many of us had, while living under communist oppression. At the same time, it expresses the same naive hope that when freedom comes everything will be different, kind of like overnight.

We all know now, here in the post-communist world, that such a hope is unrealistic and may lend us to much disappointment when faced with the grim reality of the ambiguous nature of freedom.

We know now (but had no idea at the time, although we should have known better) that we may need to spend the proverbial ’40 years in the desert’, before any hope of normality becomes reality). Yet, when under pressure, one can only hope the best for the future.

Here is the poem. May it help you remember, and pray for those who are not yet free. May God have mercy on Vietnam!

* * *

I have a dream
That one day
On earth
There will be no more
Communists.

Then, our rural peasants
Will enjoy the full fruit of their labor.
They will not toil in rice paddies
Under the burning hot sun, soaked in sweat,
Nor in the rainy storm,
Cold and lonely in an empty field
Until the grain is ripe and full,
Only
To be forced to hand over more than half
To the dictatorial regime.
What is left?

Then, my country’s scholars
Will raise their voice to truth,
Because the figure 8 handcuff
And provision 88 of the legal statute
Will have been expunged
From our thoughts.
With it go provisions 79, 87, and 258 …
Abominable forever!
They are the unique products of our country
And of other “socialist brethren”,
But “Comrades”?
An evil axis to be more accurate!
Conspiring together
They usurp the peoples’ wealth
To themselves
Forever!

Then my country’s poets and writers
Will flood their thoughts fully,
Without suppressing them,
Hiding them,
hanging them,
Bagging them,
Or simply forgetting them,
Pretending that they don’t have any honest thoughts at all!
And then,
the poems and songs
Of my country
Will flourish,
Even if they have to start all over.
But, a single step
On the honest path (if you dare to join),
Is enough to overwhelm you!
Really!
Try it!

When there is no longer a communist shadow
In my country,
Then the lawyer
Will truly serve
The heart of democracy!
To deliver eloquent speeches, lecture, debate;
To defend without being afraid
Of being thrown into jail,
Refusing to be dim-witted,
Refusing to praise and glorify the communist gang,
A decomposed corpse, a compost heap;
To be great
In the fight for truth
On earth.

Then
There will no be extreme hardship
For laborers,
Gaunt,
Perspiring through thin worn clothes,
With a dirt cheap salary
That could not be less.

And there will no longer be calamity
That spiritual leaders must endure
Because of their resoluteness
And their character,
To be foolish enough
To demand freedom of religions and religious beliefs,
And furthermore
To demand the return
Of confiscated properties, unfairly seized;
All in order to worship
God, the Almighty, the Lord,
Our Creator,
And the Creator of the communists, too!
Because He is the One who gave life
To all of humankind.
Therefore, communists,
If you still have breath,
Then definitely that notion
Must mean something to you! (It does to me!).
So,
For those who still have a conscience
And some bravery left,
And some respect for themselves,
Some long-lost honor
That they unexpectedly find,
“Strongly condemn”
And “fiercely oppose”
The communist dictator regime,
Ruthless and uncivilized,
Wicked and barbaric,
Ignorant at best,
Lavishing the most,
Delirious in the extreme,
Deceitful as idols!Then,
Everyone will find that
The significance of their lives
Is to live for each other!
And to sacrifice for the human family,
For our brothers and sisters
Made by our Creator
With Everlasting Love!

I have a dream.
It may not come true
In my life time,
but I venture to speak,
To cry out tragically
Strongly and openly
To everyone …
I am not mute,
I have ears and am not deaf,
I have eyes and am not blind,
I have a heart (sadly) that still beats,
A conscience that is not toothless;
It still has teeth.
(It bites me every day
As God is my witness!)
I have a head that thinks,
A heart that dreams
About things that are sublime;
Simple things, really . . .
Honest and courageous character,
The moral foundation
Of a person!

But, who will recreate and be the guardian
Of this foundation?
“I,
The insignificant little krill, Le Thi Cong Nhan,
volunteer to lend a hand.”

Thus,
The Rest
Awaits for
Someone.

(The police, when insulting and berating me, usually call me “the little brat, the little devil, the little kid, … so young but already committed serious crimes”.  I decided that I will not consider it a sin, whatever names they call me. Yes, when I look at myself, I agree I am truly very young.  So I call myself “the insignificant little krill” (a small fish fry) just for fun!)

Hanoi – August 2010

Advertisement