35 Vietnamese boat people light

Duc Vi Lam

DAU THUONG VA HY VONG

PAIN and HOPE

As I sit under the shade of a tree
And view the clear sky as the sun rises in the morning
I am reminded of the motherland that I have left behind.

Motherland. Oh! Motherland.
I recall a scene of rows of beautiful trees,
With children frolicking under the shade.
The river passes near the trees,
The fish swim here and there.
How lovely when this country has the sunshine of freedom.


Suddenly a shadow is cast over that freedom.
The devil comes and obliterates the sunshine,
And covers it with darkness and sorrow.
The rows of trees become withered,
The children are quiet under the trees.
The rivers turn dry,
The fish have no where to swim.
How awful when the country changes!
How hard that people live in the darkness.


They try to hide and to escape.
Not just for a better life but for freedom.
How many die when they try to escape?
How many have been caught when they try to hide ?
But still they try to escape and hide.
They do not care about their lives,
Unless they are lit by freedom.


They hope they can escape the darkness.
There are two ways for them to choose,
One is Death the other Freedom in their lives.
Which one do you think is better?
So they try to leave the darkness.
And search for Sunshine in their lives.

It all brings back to my mind
The awful things that happened in my life
But now it has all passed.
And how lonely I am now for my parents
Staying in this foreign country
Without parents beside me.
So I need to share the love and care
With others round me.
To warm my heart and my life
And to share my loneliness.