Thank You Fort Hood

To Roy & Diana

Because of Alzheimer's, Huan and my mom departed

My two sisters also had Alzheimer's for years

Thoa, Thuy, names you cannot remember

Thirty-two years, many things have transformed

The fifth in line with Alzheimer is I, Pham Hau

Memantine, Aricept must take daily ⁽¹⁾

Roy!  We lost track of you for quite sometime

Why are you back in my dream tonight?

With Vietnam are two rainy and sunny seasons

Black April with tempest crumpled South Vietnam

Drifting to Guam with my empty hands

Still feel happier for not dying in re-education camp

Reaching Hawaii, we’re submitted to the emergency room

Arriving in California, my wife's blue arm riddled with injection holes

Tossed sleeplessly at night fidgeting about our wandering life

My wife cried in pain, I kneeled down to pray

We landed in Houston, TX during high noon heat

You both came to welcome us at the airport

It was joyful time when we reunited

Yet our future is an unpredictable unknown

Nine million Americans are unemployed!

Refugees … they appear uncivilized

Bring them in and feed them forever

Newspaper and radio broadcast drive people insane

My wife had surgery, and after surgery, fainted again

To the emergency room once or twice daily

The doctor said that she is no longer sick

But her belly was swollen and blood was running down her legs?

Roy Clinton, you are a Bodhisattva

Sponsored us and carried a heavy burden on your shoulders

Luckily, the soldiers in Fort Hood

Sold their blood for money to help this poor Vietnamese

Thank you Roy!  Thank you Fort Hood.

You Americans are so humane and wonderful

With Alzheimer's I am awaiting my turn

I am saying Thank you all! With my tearful eyes

We had one more child, baby dragon, the youngest ⁽²⁾

Under the age of 30 graduated Harvard Law

Remember Hollie ⁽³⁾ with her rosy cheeks and snow white complexion

And the time we passed in Copperasscove ⁽⁴⁾

And Pham Huan has his very first granddaughter

Third generation to end a sad Vietnam chapter

Thanks to your help Roy, the Vietnamese tree begins to flourish

And our self-confidence continue to foster

The second day of VN New Year, Year of the Golden Pig.

Phạm Huấn’s first granddaughter, Bao Mai was born.

Nhất tuấn ⁽⁵⁾

English translation by Xuân Thu-Trần Bá Hợi

Truyện Chúng Mình -2007 – Our Story

^{(1) Two very potent medications for Alzheimer}

^{(2) Author & Oanh’s youngest son born in the Year of the Dragon}

^{(3) Dr. Clinton & Diana’s younger daughter}

^{(4) Name of a Texas town where the author resettled temporarily}

^{(5) Pseudonym of Pham Hau, author of Our Story}