THE WRITERS POST (ISSN: 1527-5467) the magazine of Literature & Literature-in-translation. VOLUME 11 NUMBER 1 JAN 2009

NGUYEN TAT DO __________________________________________ two poems by NGUYEN TAT DO translated by Tran Vu Lien Tam The black mark and a piece of paper I make a black mark on a piece of paper. A black mark on a white sheet. I bring it to ask people. Some say a black mark. Some say one sheet of white paper. I would say: "One sheet of white paper has a black mark." Again, I make a black mark on a piece of black paper. I bring it to ask people. Everyone says a black paper. Perhaps because no one sees the black mark. A black mark on a black piece of paper is hard to see! But only I know for sure on the sheet of black paper there's a black mark. Again, I …. Two sentences I pick up a poetry line on the sidewalk, on the hot sweet-rice bundle, which the old woman just gave away to the beggar, on the pushing cart she owns I see a small sign that says, 1 thousand / bundle I pick up a poetry line in a restaurant, on the Crab King dish, which a wealthy man just ordered to please the young woman dressed like a hooker, the menu has the price, 1 million 5 hundred thousands. I put together those two sentences to make a New Formalism poem and I write behind the words that are visible here, whoever can read shall read! ‰ Note: *Vietnamese monetary transaction: 1 Thousand is equivalent  to US$ 0.15  1 million and 500 thousands is equal to US$ 100. 00   The Writers Post the magazine of literature & literature-in-translation, founded 1999, based in the US. VOLUME 11 ISSUE 1 JAN 2009 Copyright © Tran Vu Lien Tam & The Writers Post 2009. Nothing in this magazine may be downloaded, distributed, or reproduced without the permission of the author/ translator/ artist/ The Writers Post/ and Wordbridge magazine. Creating links to place The Writers Post or any of its pages within other framesets or in other documents is copyright violation, and is not permitted. Return to Blank Verse Section Return to Contents HOME