Re-education camp (3/11)

1979 

Men. Brothers. Stood side by side. For the first. In a long time.

At the front stood a podium with two flags of red and blue, with a star in the middle. 

Red.

Blood of half our nation’s men 

Their throats cut to coat those very flags

Blue.

Vastness and uncertainty

Our home, our country, our land

Rusted star.

Blurred radiance

Muffled voices

Vietnam had aged overnight. Its trees, once stood proud and tall, now hunched painfully, closer to the earth, wanting to break on their own terms. But even they had to pretend to stand up and look okay because that was all we could do. We wilted before we had a chance to relish the last drop of water.