The summer sun is brilliant, the phoenix shape is tilted, the body is moldy and callous. The ancient citadel, the old gate, the old monument, the old phoenix root, all seem to want to gather to whisper to them what belongs to a distant time. The cast-iron citadel imprinted with traces of time is a witness of a bygone era. For now, the citadel becomes a place to welcome generations of students to come here to practice. In the middle of that quiet old space, there is still something that is silently changing. From the thin, thin branches, green sprouts rise up. That green color revives a deep and quiet space. Thousands of delicate leaf spots weave together to create a cool green color to the eyes. The blazing sun urges the phoenix to call summer. Until one day the old phoenix tree suddenly glowed red. That’s when the exam draws near. Nights with lights on by the small doorway, summer afternoons reviewing lessons under the trees. The sound of cicadas tinkling red phoenix flowers makes the heart more excited. The road leading to the familiar lecture hall was covered with red corpses. The wind gently swept the fragile phoenix wings flying in the air. In the line of troops walking under the phoenix’s shadow, there were petals falling gently on the red and gold-rimmed shoulders. That red color blends together to weave into student memories. It was the last summer we studied under the officer’s roof. Graduation exam is approaching, teammates are hard at work together. With a bit of leisure, I walked around the school, stood under the phoenix tree and picked up fallen petals. The cicada slightly tilted its head and flapped its wings in a hurry to catch the rhythm of the song. After the hard exam, the graduates are honored to carry on their shoulders the sparkling gold star badge. When the phoenix flower was over, it was time for us to part. From the roof of this school, young officers spread everywhere, each with a unit, a new horizon. Only the old phoenix shape with crimson flowers at the school gate will probably remain forever. We graduated from school with that year’s phoenix season so that every summer, we would sob with the falling color of the phoenix, the roof of the ancient citadel, and our comrades-in-arms.

Nguyen Thi Tham harvests vegetables to prepare for dinner. Tham’s house is at 17F7, Tran Binh Trong Street, Nguyen An Ninh Ward, City. Vung Tau, has 3 floors with an area of ​​more than 100m2. Tham has spent more than 30m2 of the terrace to design a garden with a variety of vegetables and fruits for daily meals. Taking us to visit the garden, Ms. Tham was ready to bring knives, scissors and a basket to store vegetables harvested for dinner. Appearing in front of my eyes is a beautiful and neat garden designed scientifically by Tham and her husband, both to ensure waterproofing for the terrace and for luxuriant fruit trees. Tham’s garden has everything from spinach, collard greens, collard greens, amaranth, water spinach, chives, basil… to hard-to-grow things like mosquito nets, abalone mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, chicken thighs. . In front is a truss of gourd, squash is also fruiting. In addition to vegetables, the garden is also full of flowers with 20 pots of roses, 20 pots of tropical hydrangeas, dozens of orchids, fortune-telling plants, box orchids, jasmine… In a flash, Tham has a basket of vegetables. , fruits of all kinds for dinner. Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham with a very fruity gourd is grown on her terrace garden. In order to have vegetables to eat regularly, she grows by the method of pillowing, which means that when this litter is about to die, another batch is about to be harvested. The same goes for melons, gourds, and squash, when these fruit trees begin to grow old, other fruit trees have climbed up the trellis. Ms. Tham added that, in the face of rampant dirty food on the market, which easily affects health, because she wanted to have clean vegetables for her family, in 2017 when she built this house, she also designed a garden on the yard. upper. Just like that, after finishing her job at the Ministry of Construction’s Nursing Center, she went home to take care of her garden. “There are 3 people in the family, so many times vegetables and fruits can’t be eaten, I pick them down for friends and relatives. In addition, I do more cooking at home, so I also put these clean products into serving customers,” said Tham. Mrs. Ngo Xuan Tho shows off the apple tree planted on the terrace, but it is very wrong Looking at the garden on the terrace with dangling pumpkins, bunches of apples laden with fruit, guava trees are so wrong… few would expect it to be the hand of a 74-year-old woman who still climbs 3 floors every day. Tiny, vertical stairs to the garden. The house is more than 50m2, but both generations live together, so they have to pour 3 panels and make the stairs very small to save space. Climbing to the terrace of the house I wanted to breathe, but Mrs. Ngo Xuan Tho (636/12/9 Truong Cong Dinh, Nguyen An Ninh ward, Vung Tau city) – the owner of that garden was still more agile. Ten times up and down to take care of plants, change the soil, and harvest vegetables without getting tired. Ms. Tho confided that this garden helps her to relax with old age in the city. The garden is not large, only a few tens of square meters, but she feels better thanks to it. “Every time I go to the garden to look at the vine that has grown, hug the trellis and then flower, bud, and bear fruit, I am as happy as meeting you,” said Mrs. Just like that, that small garden has been with her for nearly 20 years, every season. Ms. Tho said that at this time, the weather was rainy, so it was a bit difficult to grow vegetables, although she still had amaranth, water spinach, and cucurbits to eat all day… but the mainstay of the garden in this rainy season is fruit trees. She cherished each apple in the garden, each new ruby ​​guava with her fist, and then rejoiced when harvesting the first American figs, each strawberry brought back from Da Lat. From September onwards until Tet, when it is cold, Ms. Tho can grow kohlrabi, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower… And gourds, squash, melons, eggplants, leafy vegetables are often enough for the whole family. 5-6 people eat. “Actually, I spent tens of millions of dong to buy planter boxes, invest in an automatic irrigation system in the garden, not to mention the cost of seedlings and fertilizers… Considering the economic value, it is not necessarily cheaper. I buy vegetables from the market, but the important thing is that the garden makes me happy, my family has safe vegetables for daily meals, “said Ms. Tho. Lots of families in the city. Vung Tau also chooses to grow vegetables on the terrace to have clean vegetables for family meals. Ms. Le Thi Hai Yen (150/18 Le Loi, Thang Nhi Ward, Vung Tau City) often calls her vegetable growing place “a garden in the clouds”. Yen’s garden is small, just over 10m2, but thanks to clever placement, she can grow everything from green beans, peas, okra, bitter melon to morning glory, amaranth, and spinach. She loves flowers, so her garden also dedicates a small space to plant roses and butterfly flower pots. Rooftop gardening is gradually becoming popular in urban areas. The rooftop garden has contributed a lot to the family’s daily food, reducing a part of monthly shopping costs. For many people, gardening on the terrace is also a hobby to help them reduce stress and fatigue with daily life.

Artwork/INT. Afternoon lying in the fields High wind overflowing hut. Sweet fibrous fruit Follow the birdsong In the grove of birds. Buffalo chewing grass Good night sleep Blue sky face The eyes are also green Hammer sound búa The mountains around Spring spinning water Fences of yards Rice overflows the valley Run as long as a wave Howling birdsong Also flows in a stream. Afternoon lying in the fields Listen to the bustling life Bees fly like waking up Golden noon sunshine. Noon (The sound of flying bees, 1959) The atmosphere of the quiet, sunny afternoons in the countryside, whether it’s lowland or lowland, seems like nothing is poetic, but through Huy Can’s sympathy, the midday spirit suddenly appeared. lively: “The whole world in the middle of the afternoon is hot Hugging, pregnant with something…” The feeling of noon has become a flowing stream. From the gentle white sunshine, there are cuckoos, yellow butterflies and couples standing by the garden of love, in the old folk songs, until today, there are couples who don’t know what to hate but break the noonday light. : “The noonday ball was just round, but suddenly it broke in two!” It was a midday in the late spring to summer, the weather was windy, to the point that the tall hut was overflowing with wind; The rice has not yet entered the harvest, but it still flows like a river, filling the whole valley, and the sound of the birds chirping heralding the ripe lychee season, continues endlessly, to the point that it also flows into a stream of sound like flowing water. The wind spills, the colors spill, the sound spills… all in lines, in sharp lines, creating a unique, all-encompassing background for the mid-afternoon picture of the mountainous region. On the background of that color and sound, the author continues to sketch the detailed lines: Sweet fibrous fruit Follow the birdsong In the grove of birds. With a sensitive soul, the poet has captured the subtle vibrations in the heart of the scene. After the quiet appearance of the fruit, the flesh is gradually stretching, giving the fruit more berry, the sweet taste is richer, making the fruit more sweet. All the resources of life seem to be multiplied by the sound of birds chirping. All the wild birds seem to have gathered here, perching so much that the grove has turned into a grove of birds. After a tiring morning of work, again encountering the hot noonday air that induces sleep, but the cultivator has to resist sleep, to lie awake with the noonday sun. The whole space of the noonday sun and wind in the forest, the cage of the blue sky seems to swish the waves into the soul of the cultivator, showing all the activities of the rustic life: Buffalo chewing grass Good night sleep Blue sky face The eyes are also green A few verses that only suggest so, but seem to tell us a lot. These are the contrasts between static and dynamic; between the immense sky and small people on the ground, but creating a picture of harmony, attachment, evoking a peaceful life. The buffalo has a contemplative appearance, chewing grass but chewing on the golden honey taste of the noonday sun. As for the calf, sleeping with an innocent look as if it had some solid fulcrum. The center of this noontime picture is the image of a field keeper, lying awake, facing the high blue sky. The whole dome of the noon sky seems to be captured in the eyes, the sky is blue, so the eyes are also blue. All the sounds of noon are like waves crashing and being listened to and recorded by the soul. From the strong sounds that reverberate the mountains and forests, it is expressed through words that describe the timid sound nuances such as: Hammer sound búa The mountains around Until the deep sounds of the water moving slowly: Spring spinning water Fences of yards If the hammer hits somewhere, has a strong intensity, creates a violent sound stream, echoes on the cliffs, and is jarring, the sound of the water column on the stream, pouring water into the trough system and the sound The wind passing through the ragged lawn, along with the chirping of birds of all kinds, and the buzzing of bees, created a harmony, contrasting the noonday. Emerging on the background of that harmony is the chirping of birds, like a soprano, making the midday space bustling: Rice overflows the valley Flowing like a river Howling birdsong Also flows in a stream. The poem “Noon”, by author Nguyen Xuan Tham, with a very simple narration, but very poetic. The poetry here exudes from the unique landscape of the wild highlands at noon – a afternoon of blue sky, golden sunshine, high winds, few people, only a stream, a grassy lawn, a water column, awake with the wild birds, with the bees flying like waves and the watchman. Although people are absent, life here still has its own bustling atmosphere: Afternoon lying in the fields Listen to the bustling life Bees fly like waking up Golden noon sunshine. I don’t know if the scent of yellow honey poured into the noonday air is from the bees or from the sun? Just know that noon in this place has a sweet taste like it is seeping into the hearts of people who enjoy poetry. These are also distinctive features, distinguishing them from the pictures in the countryside in the lowlands.

Artwork/INT. Afternoon lying in the fields High wind overflowing hut. Sweet fibrous fruit Follow the birdsong In the grove of birds. Buffalo chewing grass Good night sleep Blue sky face The eyes are also green Hammer sound búa The mountains around Spring spinning water Fences of yards Rice overflows the valley Run as long as a wave Howling birdsong Also flows in a stream. Afternoon lying in the fields Listen to the bustling life Bees fly like waking up Golden noon sunshine. Noon (The sound of flying bees, 1959) The atmosphere of the quiet, sunny afternoons in the countryside, whether it’s lowland or lowland, seems like nothing is poetic, but through Huy Can’s sympathy, the midday spirit suddenly appeared. lively: “The whole world in the middle of the afternoon is hot Hugging, pregnant with something…” The feeling of noon has become a flowing stream. From the gentle white sunshine, there are cuckoos, yellow butterflies and couples standing by the garden of love, in the old folk songs, until today, there are couples who don’t know what to hate but break the noonday light. : “The noonday ball was just round, but suddenly it broke in two!” It was a midday in the late spring to summer, the weather was windy, to the point that the tall hut was overflowing with wind; The rice has not yet entered the harvest, but it still flows like a river, filling the whole valley, and the sound of the birds chirping heralding the ripe lychee season, continues endlessly, to the point that it also flows into a stream of sound like flowing water. The wind spills, the colors spill, the sound spills… all in lines, in sharp lines, creating a unique, all-encompassing background for the mid-afternoon picture of the mountainous region. On the background of that color and sound, the author continues to sketch the detailed lines: Sweet fibrous fruit Follow the birdsong In the grove of birds. With a sensitive soul, the poet has captured the subtle vibrations in the heart of the scene. After the quiet appearance of the fruit, the flesh is gradually stretching, giving the fruit more berry, the sweet taste is richer, making the fruit more sweet. All the resources of life seem to be multiplied by the sound of birds chirping. All the wild birds seem to have gathered here, perching so much that the grove has turned into a grove of birds. After a tiring morning of work, again encountering the hot noonday air that induces sleep, but the cultivator has to resist sleep, to lie awake with the noonday sun. The whole space of the noonday sun and wind in the forest, the cage of the blue sky seems to swish the waves into the soul of the cultivator, showing all the activities of the rustic life: Buffalo chewing grass Good night sleep Blue sky face The eyes are also green A few verses that only suggest so, but seem to tell us a lot. These are the contrasts between static and dynamic; between the immense sky and small people on the ground, but creating a picture of harmony, attachment, evoking a peaceful life. The buffalo has a contemplative appearance, chewing grass but chewing on the golden honey taste of the noonday sun. As for the calf, sleeping with an innocent look as if it had some solid fulcrum. The center of this noontime picture is the image of a field keeper, lying awake, facing the high blue sky. The whole dome of the noon sky seems to be captured in the eyes, the sky is blue, so the eyes are also blue. All the sounds of noon are like waves crashing and being listened to and recorded by the soul. From the strong sounds that reverberate the mountains and forests, it is expressed through words that describe the timid sound nuances such as: Hammer sound búa The mountains around Until the deep sounds of the water moving slowly: Spring spinning water Fences of yards If the hammer hits somewhere, has a strong intensity, creates a violent sound stream, echoes on the cliffs, and is jarring, the sound of the water column on the stream, pouring water into the trough system and the sound The wind passing through the ragged lawn, along with the chirping of birds of all kinds, and the buzzing of bees, created a harmony, contrasting the noonday. Emerging on the background of that harmony is the chirping of birds, like a soprano, making the midday space bustling: Rice overflows the valley Flowing like a river Howling birdsong Also flows in a stream. The poem “Noon”, by author Nguyen Xuan Tham, with a very simple narration, but very poetic. The poetry here exudes from the unique landscape of the wild highlands at noon – a afternoon of blue sky, golden sunshine, high winds, few people, only a stream, a grassy lawn, a water column, awake with the wild birds, with the bees flying like waves and the watchman. Although people are absent, life here still has its own bustling atmosphere: Afternoon lying in the fields Listen to the bustling life Bees fly like waking up Golden noon sunshine. I don’t know if the scent of yellow honey poured into the noonday air is from the bees or from the sun? Just know that noon in this place has a sweet taste like it is seeping into the hearts of people who enjoy poetry. These are also distinctive features, distinguishing them from the pictures in the countryside in the lowlands.