I open a book to escape myself
But every page leads me back inside
Each sentence presses deeper
Than anything I tried to forget.
Võ Thị Như Mai is a Vietnamese Australian poet, educator, and cultural advocate based in Perth. She is the author of five poetry collections and multiple bilingual books, and has led numerous international translation projects introducing Vietnamese literature to global audiences. Her work explores memory, identity, and cultural connection through a lyrical and reflective voice. A senior teacher with over two decades of experience, she combines education with literary engagement. She founded The Rhythm of Vietnam, a platform supporting Vietnamese writers worldwide. Her contributions have been recognized by Vietnamese diplomatic institutions and international literary organizations for promoting Vietnamese culture and language.
THE BOOK THAT BREAKS ME OPEN
I open a book to escape myself
But every page leads me back inside
Each sentence presses deeper
Than anything I tried to forget
.
Love appears in fragile lines
And my chest tightens again
A single phrase can undo years
I spent pretending I was
Untouched by the longing of you
.
I turn the page too fast
As if I could lie on the grass
But every word stands waiting
As patient as an old wound
.
I came searching for answers
For something distant and safe
Instead, I find my own reflection
Burning in every line
***
A HUMAN PAGE
We live like wandering pages
Torn between happiness and pain
Each heart writes its own story
Of promising hope and wondering doubt
.
So we bend, we change and we stay
Long after the truth has faded
Just to avoid that hollow feeling
Pressing against our gentle soul
.
Then one day, something shifting
A strength rising slowly from within
.
I stand inside my own story
Feeling every word as mine
And for the first time
I do not turn away
***
THE BOOK BETWEEN US
A book moves across oceans and lands
Passing from hand to hand
Entering lives with a big smile
.
Its pages engraved with human hearts
Filled with longing, grief and desire
Every emotion we try to hide
.
Somebody far away opens it
And suddenly feels less alone
As if another soul tries to say
“I have felt this too.”
.
Distance fades inside those pages
Barriers fall in a single moment
.
And in that fragile connection
Human hearts reach each other
Through words that ache
Through stories spread
To many generations later
____________________
