Silent footsteps of police officers

“

Police officer

The moon is full in the sky
Patrol the road tonight
The twinkling stars fly
Playfully perched on the shoulders of the boys.

Every house falls asleep
Areca flowers gently spread a fresh fragrance
The fireflies and the owls
Through the long night till dawn.

Who forgot to lock the door when leaving home?
Reminder to keep safe
Which neighborhood is the dispute?
He came to mediate and clarify.

Poor single-parent households
He always visits kindly
Young man has a rebellious brother
I met and gave sincere advice.

The scene is as fresh as the sun.
The red epaulettes are the color of flowers.
Everyone thanks you guys
Keep the peace at home.

PHAM VAN ANH

Pham Van Anh is a writer, poet, military screenwriter, and translator of several works from English texts. Born in 1980 in Hai Phong, the author has published more than 10 books and received many valuable awards from the Vietnam Writers Association and other organizations.Policemanby Pham Van Anh was selected and included in the Vietnamese textbook for grade 5, Canh Dieu series and will begin teaching in the 2024-2025 school year, which is a recognition of the author's positive contributions.

The poem is simple and rustic in its words; the familiar and vivid images have contributed to expressing the heroic beauty of the police officer in the work of building and protecting the peace of the Fatherland. Through that, the work also fosters the love and pride of the youth for those who have not hesitated to endure hardships and silently sacrificed for the happiness of the people.

PoemPolicemancan be divided into three main contents. The first two stanzas depict the beauty of nature and touching images of police officers. The third and fourth stanzas recount the useful deeds of police officers to ensure security, order and social safety. The final stanza is the love and respect of the people for police officers. The entire work is smoothly combined through the narrative tone and the author's deep lyrical emotions for the police officers.

In the first stanza, poet Pham Van Anh introduced the poetic and lyrical natural scenery and the situation of a police officer patrolling in the middle of the quiet night. A bright moon lit up the night sky, the twinkling, mischievous stars seemed to fly down and perch on the shoulder of the officer. Everything was as beautiful and magical as a painting by a talented artist:The moon is full in the sky/Patrol the road tonight/The twinkling stars fly/ Playfully perched on the shoulders of the boys.

Continuing that emotional flow, the situation of the patrol soldier described by the author is also very special, because at this time every house is deep in sleep, only the scent of areca trees is floating and the fireflies are awake with the police soldier on duty. They stay up all night, from early evening until dawn. The verses purely narrate the event but are full of emotion and full of admiration and love of the author, thanks to which the image of the patrol police soldier is even more beautiful:Every house falls asleep/ The gentle areca flower spreads a fresh fragrance/ The fireflies and the owls/ Through the long night until dawn.

The interesting and especially attractive thing about the first two stanzas is the artistic rhetorical devices that Pham Van Anh uses very skillfully and attractively. The personification through the images of stars and fireflies suddenly becomes magical but also close and familiar to childhood, thus easily creating sympathy. The rhetorical device of contrast between "every house falls asleep" and the police officer staying awake "through the long night until dawn" suggests the great silent sacrifices for the peace of the people and the Fatherland.

The work is difficult and tiring, but the police officers still consider it a normal part of their daily life. Every silent step in the quiet night, the timely actions to prevent and destroy criminal networks, and to protect security force them to always be awake and vigilant. The police consider the people's property and lives as their own.
In the third and fourth stanzas, author Pham Van Anh reviews meaningful actions that are typical but also very specific and practical. From people forgetting to lock their doors, arguments in the village, rebellious youths to lonely, difficult lives..., the officers did not forget to remind, reconcile, advise and share with care. The beauty of the soul and the affection towards the people have truly touched the hearts of each of us, from which the people always accompany and show gratitude to the police officers on every arduous patrol:Who forgot to lock the door when leaving home?/ Reminder to keep safe…/ Poor single-parent households/ He always visits with care…

The last stanza of the poem ends with the image "uniforms as bright as the sun/ military ranks as red as flowers" has made the beauty of the People's Public Security soldier brighter. The two lines of poetry are harmonious, balanced and complement each other, just like the solemnity, neatness, and readiness to obey orders are the inherent qualities of soldiers in the Ho Chi Minh era. In particular, in the two concluding verses, a deep gratitude from the people to the police soldier becomes the main theme and inspiration for the entire work:Everyone thanks you guys/ Keep peace in every home.

The image of the police officer has entered literature and art in general and poetry in particular through thousands of pages of books, films, photographs... and is forever the pride of each of us. Read the poemPolicemanof Pham Van Anh, that feeling once again blooms with flowers of love and admiration; more respect and pride for the silent footsteps of you on every path of the sacred Vietnam.