Dreams of a Butterfly

This blog contains materials originally intended for my school alumni -- from the Lycee Marie Curie in Saigon, Vietnam. It is by its original audience rather nostalgic and wistful, hence the butterfly, a reference to the well-known story by Zhuang Zi. The old boys and girls can sometimes, however, get quite academic and/or bawdy. The postings can be in English, French or Vietnamese. All postings are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Je pense a toi

je pense a toi
a ta bouche a ton corps a tes bras d'albatre
a ta peau satinee que j'aime tant caresser
a tes levres carmines qui me font des reproches
de cette voix que tu sais que je ne peux resister

je pense a toi
a cette taille que je veux enserrer
pour t'etreindre contre moi et me faire perdre
mon sang froid et toute ma volonte
quand mon visage se perd dans tes cheveux noirs

je pense a toi
a cette robe qui se derobe sous mes doigts
quand elle glisse et me devoile ce qui m'obsede
et me fait trembler d'emoi et de frisson
et nos ames se rejoignent aussi bien que nos corps

je pense a toi

Photos by Dao Dang Trieu Duong

A lot of you may remember my good friend Duong (ex TC2) as a very
caring and funny fellow. His day job is in civil engineering in
Montreal. But he is also a very talented and accomplished photographer
with a real artistic sensibility. I was so moved looking at some of
his pictures that I had to say something about them.

This is my favorite. http://www.pbase.com/daliakin/image/65003368
For some reason I find it strangely arousing ('excitant'), perhaps a kind
of hidden erotic fantasy combined with perfect composition.
Formalistically the picture seethes with tension between the classical
framework of the setting and the romantic allure of the young woman.
Yang and yin; hard and soft, architecture and poetry. Such a stunning
opposition: a promise of tenderness with a flash of legs -- oh so
human, oh so divine -- combined with an almost brutal set of columns a
la Riefenstahl --in this context they look totalitarian.

In any event he is at the top of his form.Like here http://www.pbase.com/daliakin/image/102329659 This shot deserves to be in textbooks on photography. The ballet of forms with a steel gray background, the drops of water seized in mid air, the shadow of the bird in flight, all of these so vivid as to make you think the picture is some kind of Chinese painting. You can't help wondering how he does it technically. He is obviously a master of high ISO setting.

One day I will curate Duong's work. In the meantime do move around and
enjoy his photo site.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

The Navigator

to Mau Piailug who now navigates among the stars

One day out of Satawal
With its embracing lagoon
As warm and welcome as a mother
Where children and turtles play
Among coral and groupers
In water as clear as glass

Two days out of Satawal
Towards where Altair rises
And Venus passes in transit
Among the arms of Orion
Or whatever the old lore whisper
To the mind of the Navigator

Five days out of Satawal
Waves lashing through the ropes
Angry sea and howling wind
Creaking pole of the outrigger
Last coconut gnawed in the dark
Doubt, fear and despair grip your groin

Six days out of Satawal
Sunrise on another lagoon
Huts, food and smiles beckon
Old man how can it be
Were we not tossed to the gods already
How did you find that island there

Eyes twinkling in a grizzled face
O foreigner don't you know
From the time of the grandmothers
Of my beloved grandmothers
This island that there you see
Has always been here

Pa Ri bay nai

Pa ri bay nai trên tàu ruồi
Chiều hè đợi mãi đêm mới xuôi
Trên bến đèn pha chói nhân tình
Tháp thép lên đèn sáng lung linh
Sông siết sóng vồ đưa ra bể
Thuyền còn đưa khách vẫn không hề *
Trong bóng nhìn cảnh xưa còn đó
Tóc bạc nay rồi nỗi âu lo

* fluctuat nec mergitur

A Paris en pensant a Tu Fu

dedie a Van Tien Dung qui a tout arrange

Autour de la table ronde les amis s’animent
Evoquant des souvenirs d’antan et d’ailleurs
Les plats arrivent tard mais delicieux
Noms italiens deguisant des choses prosaiques
Mais tout de meme bien faits pour deguster
Avec du vin rouge blanc ou rose’
Qu’on eleve en se souhaitant du bonheur
On decrit les succes des enfants
Tout le monde est au dessus de la moyenne
Pas de problemes avec eux
Saufs qu’ils sont plus ages
Que quand nous nous sommes connus
Les visages ont souvent change
Les chevelures se sont bien eclaircies
Et certaines ont disparu
Les sentiments rechauffent le coeur
De l’invite’ qui pourtant reprime
Dans son verre de Badoit bien plein
Un hoquet qui peut etre un soupir
Sur ses reves de Dragon allonge
Qui se dissipent a ses tempes grises
Demain il y aura la moitie du monde entre nous.