Translated from the Vietnamese original “Vì sao em không thể”
what’s happened
stand up
don’t close your pale legs all the time
the dusty sofa
your crumpled place to lie down
is where the old man’s been ploughing hastily on his trembling knees
what’s up
don’t lick your lips in defiance
this isn’t a joke
vileness runs across the cups of your eyes
in black
teardrops
are also black
why
your hands are praying
after they’ve awkwardly handled that thing
each night
don’t tell me
you can be sad
also don’t tell me
that you cannot come back to your farm
which has been lost.
.