The Rest of Yesterday ★ 2020
The poem, "The Rest of Yesterday", is a reminisce on my time in Vietnam. The flow mimics a lullaby, which includes the Vietnamese language, onomatopoeia, and an index for translations of the Vietnamese words used. The poem is based off of all five senses the audience can imagine and become familiar to Vietnam even if they have never seen it or been there before. I paint a scenery from morning to night, and recreate the environment of Vietnam and my favourite things from my trip.
I use the storytelling concept of the lullaby to evoke the idea of Diaspora and my connection to Vietnam; as a dream and the actions of reminiscing.
The lullaby itself is a traditional method of the mother passing down folklore and song to her child. Reflecting on my own journey; this would be an amazing project to pass down to future generations.
When recreating it as a children's book format I use the accordion fold method so that when the audience folds out the entire book, it becomes one big landscape of Vietnam. Emphasizing on how far away Vietnam is, and how it's out of my reach.
(monsoon, kneez 2020 ︎ audio clips from 🇻🇳 mixed with instrumentals via Garage Band + Arcade)
The lullaby itself is a traditional method of the mother passing down folklore and song to her child. Reflecting on my own journey; this would be an amazing project to pass down to future generations.
When recreating it as a children's book format I use the accordion fold method so that when the audience folds out the entire book, it becomes one big landscape of Vietnam. Emphasizing on how far away Vietnam is, and how it's out of my reach.
(monsoon, kneez 2020 ︎ audio clips from 🇻🇳 mixed with instrumentals via Garage Band + Arcade)
The Rest of Yesterday ☆ A Lullaby
Việt Nam Ơi,
I miss you very much
I think of you, every day
But you are so so far away
So I’ll see you in my dreams,
And when you come to me...
I smell cà phê sữa đá,
that drips and drops
there’s a fresh,
cold cup of coffee
to wake me up.
As the sun rises
the country does too,
I found peace,
and bliss with you.
Do you feel that warmth?
it coats your skin
just as much as
The Vietnamese grins! :)
In the noon, auntie
cooks
me
a hot bowl of phở,
and offers fruits like;
chôm chôm, măng cụt,and dừa
On the back of a Moped,
I’ll hold on to you tightly,
We rush through busy streets,
constant *hONk-HoONKss*
and *beEEep-BEEePs*
My dear Việt Nam,
A monsoon weeps for you,
It comes crashing down roads
humidity steeps in blue,
As the sunsets
ever so slightly,
The moon cools
Việt Nam, forever nightly.
As I drift back in bed,
I’ll say cảm ơn instead
for letting me be
my most complete, me.
Dậy đi em, it was just a dream.
a hot bowl of phở,
and offers fruits like;
chôm chôm, măng cụt,and dừa
On the back of a Moped,
I’ll hold on to you tightly,
We rush through busy streets,
constant *hONk-HoONKss*
and *beEEep-BEEePs*
My dear Việt Nam,
A monsoon weeps for you,
It comes crashing down roads
humidity steeps in blue,
As the sunsets
ever so slightly,
The moon cools
Việt Nam, forever nightly.
As I drift back in bed,
I’ll say cảm ơn instead
for letting me be
my most complete, me.
Dậy đi em, it was just a dream.
*INDEX*
cà phê sữa đá:
vietnamese iced coffee
phở: vietnamese noodle soup
chôm chôm: rambutan
măng cụt: mangosteen
dừa: coconut
cảm ơn: thank you
Dậy đi em: wake up, babe
