Every word squeezes life out

“

THE TEMPLE

(Dedicated to writers and journalists on June 21)

Between the clear and turbid stream
How many dignity are ready to be bought and sold...
I still have a temple in me
Sacred... from the beginning... still sacred now

The temple of pens and inkstones
Every word squeezes life out...
The title is not for playing
The more can not let laughter be false

No big deal... it's still called home.
The scent must be real, the flower must be strong...
Forever the wish of children and grandchildren
Incense is lit from the heart...
HEADQUARTERS

Poet Huy Tru has been working as a journalist for decades, and has had the opportunity to travel to almost every region of the country. He has hundreds of articles and poems published in central and local newspapers and magazines. On the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, poet and journalist Huy Tru sent readers the poem "The Pagoda". The poem is a professional confession, printed in his 11th poetry collection "The Joy and Sadness of Letters" (Writers Association Publishing House, June 2023).

Journalism is a profession with a noble function and mission, promptly conveying true information about all aspects of the country's political, social, economic, cultural life... In order to do that, journalists must start their career with a pure heart for the country and the people, respect the law, and meet the requirements of professional ethics. The poem "The Pagoda" by Huy Tru also contains these basic contents.

It cannot be denied that journalism is a difficult and arduous profession, but it is also very glorious. As a former journalist and poet, Huy Tru understands better than anyone else the hardship and glory of that profession. The two opening verses:“In the middle of the clear and muddy stream, there are so many values ​​ready to be bought and sold...”is an easily seen difficult reality of journalism. Living in a constantly changing society, life is increasingly developing, people's need for material and spiritual enjoyment is increasingly enhanced, requiring journalists to have a strong will, resolutely fight against the negative aspects of society. The most difficult thing is often having to fight with oneself, before the temptations and pitfalls of life, which the author calls "How many dignity are ready to buy and sell?...

This reality shows that the line between dignity and indignity is fragile. To keep a bright mind and pure heart is not easy. Despite the difficulties, Huy Tru and other true journalists always believe and are proud because:“In me there is still a temple/ Sacred... from the past... still sacred now".

A temple literally means an architectural work serving religious purposes, a place for people to cultivate their minds and hearts, and strive for the best things. But the temple here is understood in a figurative sense, a metaphor for the conscience and responsibility of the writer. It is an “inviolable” place, a field of “Sacred... from the beginning... still sacred now"and forever will be.

If in the first four verses, the poet introduces the general sacredness of the temple, then the next verse is more specific about the journalist's temple:“The temple has pens and inkstones/Each word squeezes life out of you.../Fame is not for fun/Even more so, we cannot let laughter be false”.

The weapon of a journalist is the pen, the heart, the virtue, the talent, which every person must have. To have that, a journalist must constantly practice his pen, practice his talent, so that“Every word squeezes life out...”The strong verb “squeeze dry” accurately depicts the hardships and difficulties of the writer.

The author is deeply aware that:“Fame is not for playing / Even more so, can't let laughter be false". That is the professional self-respect of journalists. Uncle Ho once taught that before writing, one must ask oneself a few questions: “Who are you writing for? What are you writing for? How are you writing?”. Only by answering these questions can a writer hope to have a good, attractive article that attracts readers and creates his or her own “brand”. To do so, journalists must constantly learn, think deeply, and always be proud of the glory of the profession, to overcome the inherent hardships. Each sentence and each word written must be responsible to people and life. Because: “No matter what... it's still called home/The fragrance must be real, the flowers must be strong.../For generations to come wish/Compression incense burned from the heart...

Using metaphor, the last stanza refers to the mandatory requirement of journalists. That is to reflect truthfully, promptly, effectively, avoiding embellishment, blandness, and emptiness. Here, the poet uses the nouns “fragrance” and “flower” combined with the adjectives “real” and “strong” to indicate the honesty and quality of each page. Or more precisely, it is the conscience and responsibility of each writer in reflecting timely, accurate, honest, and objective reality.

The last verse "Incense is lit from the heart...”gives the poem a beautiful, meaningful ending. It is still a metaphor that gives readers interesting associations about the basic characteristics of journalism. The words:sacred, pen, sentence, word, incense (real), flower (concentrated), incense,light,located in the temple vocabulary, all have said the important nature and high requirements of journalism, "One heart is worth three talents(Nguyen Du).

Therefore, no matter what job you do, your mind must be pure, impartial, and kind. This is even more necessary in journalism:"The incense stick lit comes from within the heart...".Therefore, journalists must first be honest with themselves, then talk about being honest with others, with society, so that the bad will fade away and the good will forever multiply.

As a veteran in journalism, Huy Tru understands and appreciates the honors and hardships of the profession. Therefore, the poem "The Pagoda" is both a confession to colleagues and a reminder to himself every time he picks up a pen. From the hardships and glories of journalism, the poet wants to spread to colleagues and readers the love for the profession and the pride of journalists. Because only by devoting themselves to and loving the profession can journalists fulfill their noble mission, worthy of the trust of the Party and the people.