GET TO KNOW THE AUTHOR
Andy V. Nguyen is a junior at Redwood and enjoys learning about nature, writing personal poems, and drawing. They also enjoy gardening, but is not very good at it, making it more rewarding when something stays alive. Andy believes that poems should be fun, or deep with a great deal of meaning behind them. As he has learned, poetry is an art, and there is no wrong way of doing it, just different forms to follow.
PLEASE ENJOY!
Ft. Welcome, Songs Of The Daffodil, and Words From A Minority
WELCOME.
June, 2023
stroll along the arch drenched in ivy
where the orchids sing under the shade of the towering trees
and the morning glories trumpet, to signal your arrival
Take a deep breath, Breathe in the perfume of Freedom
feel the Chains of society fall, and the Burdens of expectations shatter
away from the bright city lights, and towards the horizon
into the lawless land, where the only ruler, is Morality
Here you are safe from the Smog of violence
eden is here, where all Immoral mortals are unwelcomed
where flowers bloom with every step, and the only Sorrow tears come from the mourning dew
where the only Blood bled is the sweet honey from hives
where Happiness is no longer a Luxury
where the ill voices in our heads are Asleep
and where Savage urges dissolve, like sugar, in purified water
i’ll show you how to get the key
Listen closely, open your ears, and Fill the living book in your mind
Close your eyes, and Hold your breath
feel the pelting rain against your skin
let go of the thoughts that Drown you
Mix your tears with the rain, until they Flow like the morning mist
Let your fallen tears water the bud of your Virtues
and only when it’ll flower, will the gates Unlock
Open your eyes
Welcome.
SONG OF THE DAFFODIL
June 2023
(Sestina)
hidden among the dying Weeds.
a bulb pushed through the ground, a single Daffodil.
flickering fireflies dance around the Lamp.
imitating the flowing golden flame as they Dance,
along with the wind, who carries the Whispers,
from the Grave.
walking along the path, alongside the flickering Lamp.
a yellow light appears among the Weeds,
choreographing a two step Dance,
to a Grave,
who’s source of Whispers,
emits from a lonely Daffodil.
a singing Daffodil,
who’s petals gleam in the moonlight’s Dance.
a waltz, followed by an applause of Whispers.
yet to the unpleasant Grave,
who stands alone among the Weeds.
their quiet encore, blew out the Lamp.
who’s steps were heavy enough to press the limp Weeds,
clearing the way for the eyes to rest upon the Grave.
the yellow light of a Lamp,
emitted from the Daffodil,
who stood alone for a closing solo Dance.
the lone flower, who’s tears can be heard as Whispers.
what was all the commotion? why can her sole Whispers,
be heard echoing through the overgrown Weeds?
flowing through a dying Lamp.
and through the Dance
of the Daffodil,
our eyes set upon the carvings in the Grave
“Come join us, buried under where our screams are Whispers,
we’ll do a forever Dance,
alongside our flickering Lamp.”
soon the ground split underneath the Grave.
and the lone Daffodil,
shriveled among the Weeds.
where the Whispers became screams, and the unpleasant Grave did a three step Dance,
a dying Lamp is rekindled for another, as the fireflies waltzed.
and within the overgrown Weeds, a bulb emerges,
a single Daffodil.
WORDS FROM A MINORITY
June, 2023
To have hetero pride
You’ll get all that comes with it.
the Pain,
the Suffering,
your very Rights taken away,
the fear of being Killed, and Threatened, everyday.
to see other people debate over your simple rights,
Like to Live, to Love, to be Free, to be Happy
Your humanity burned away, trapped in a rolled rug
And Lighted.
While surrounded by people in masks
the only pride you have
is to stand tall when a Fag finds a Lover
to Fight when people have a different god
to feel Oppressed when Queers are celebrating the very things they’ve accomplished
to rid your country of Impurities when you’re the one who’s causing the Ruckus
So I say,
How Dare you.
You have no right to take away our Pride
Diluting our love for one another with your false sense of Justice
Take a deep breath and realize we just want to Live,
Like you.
“With Liberty and Justice for all”
the very words that our schools have Forced into our minds,
Echo like chimes,
Handing us a false sense of Pride,
and Decaying us, within time.
Justice for all
No matter your Race, Gender, or Sexuality,
No matter your Disabilities,
No matter your Religion,
No matter your Sex.
how I hoped that would be our reality
yet many can agree,
our lives are Played within the hands of blind Bourgeoisie.
we stand here covered in our own Scars by the minds of the Ignorant
We are called fake, for having Hidden disabilities,
Being made fun of, for having Visible disabilities,
Being a Terrorist for your Religion,
Being a Faggot for liking others like you,
Being Abused for realizing your true Gender,
Being “Threatening,” by the Color of your skin.
Our lives have been Taken away for things that are harmless,
yet they seem to Scare, and Disgust others.
even though we all share a similar pain, we still Harm others for who they identify as
our communities should be Standing together,
yet they let others Fall,
leaving them to Crawl,
forcing them into a Plastic smile of a Doll.
no matter how you identify as,
it will Never.
give you the right to Discriminate against others
to Hate them
to Kill them
regardless of your level of Pain,
we can’t let Hate reign,
or the Suffering our ancestors have gone through,
would be left in Vain.
their Tears rain on us
in any last attempt to make them See
why their actions Sowed a seed
that will forever Root in our hearts
and Strangle us,
like a piece of Corrupted art.
WHAT IS POETRY TO ANDY V. NGUYEN?
A good poem varies for one and all, but for Andy, a good poem is one that speaks from the author’s heart. The poem should have some sort of connection or meaning to a group of people whether they are a minority or the majority. The poem should also have a nice flow to it, along with some good metaphors, and/or symbolism. When there is a poem that has little to no emotion behind it or no overlying theme, it seems empty. Literary devices such as metaphors and symbolism add some spice and make the poem a lot more interesting to read. A good poem could also be fun, and tell a story, whether it be spooky, sarcastic, or just entertaining. Poetry is what the author wants it to be, but this is Andy's style, hope you enjoyed them!