Cherish every moment of love

Poet Dinh Thi Thu Van is from Long An and is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association. Her poems are mostly about love. Love in Dinh Thi Thu Van’s poems is always passionate, devoted and full of compassion. The poem “Stay close when you still can” is one of those poems.

In the poem “Stay close when you still can”, we can easily “read” the author’s mood, feelings and wishes in particular and many people in general about love and family happiness. It must be an extremely delicate person, passionately in love but also experienced brokenness, regret, and even disappointment to come up with such heartfelt and urgent poetic words.? “It may be too late tomorrow/ Oh, love, don't wait until it's too late/ To cry, to feel pain, and to regret/ To be surprised: it's already broken up...”.The phrase “very likely” is an assumption and that assumption is entirely possible. The poet imagines the uncertainties that can come at any time in life and in love. So, couples should enjoy the precious moments together, give each other happiness, so that if one day something unfortunate happens, there will be nothing to regret: “Hurry to cry, hurry to hurt, hurry to be surprisedThe word "hurry" is used 3 times in 2 verses to indicate the urgency of time to avoid being late, to avoid missing out, accompanied by adjectives indicating the mood to concretize the regrets because:"It's very possible that tomorrow won't be enough."

Therefore, each person must always be aware and responsible for their love and home.Let's warm each other's lives a little more/ Who knows, maybe in a moment we'll be blind". Poetry“Stay close while you still can”as a sincere message to everyone, regardless of age, about how to behave in love:“Hey loves, while you still can/ cherish every moment of holding hands/ these deep kisses while you still can/ who knows, in a split second they might disappear.”. The adverb “this” emphasizes the specificity and definiteness of the objects listed (loves, kisses). The word “let” expresses a request of an imperative or persuasive nature, encouraging one to do something or have a certain attitude (let’s cherish, let’s be gentle, let’s find each other…).

Still a fierce urge from the heart of the lyrical character, know how to cherish every eternal moment in love, even the smallest: "Please gently give before a hundred years". What can be done for each other to make love strong and sublime is all “suggested” by the poet, along with a premonition of the misfortunes that may happen (missed chance, separation, blindness, a hundred years) so that there is no regret. That can only be found in a heart that loves passionately, ardently, devotedly but has ever tasted the bitterness of love?

The phrase "who knows" is repeated four times in the poem, expressing a cautious guess, not daring to make a definitive statement, but intending to anticipate possible uncertainties in love: "BWho knows, maybe in a moment we will be blind.”;“Who knows if tomorrow I will be cold, who knows if you/Who knows if the world is cruel”. So, once again the poet urges and urges: “HLet's find each other while we still can/Flirty butterflies are waiting to get drunk together". Is the last verse a metaphor for a love that is needed and should be?

“Stay close while you still can” is a beautiful love poem, containing the feelings of a woman who is in love, has loved and longs to be loved. The poem uses repetition, images, simple, easy-to-understand language and a rhythm that is sometimes intense, sometimes leisurely to express love. The poem is a strong urge, urging, so that each person is more aware and responsible for their love in every moment so as not to regret.