Why I Write...

I recently received a message from a reader regarding my chapbook. I am always uncertain what "success" as a poet really means, but I think getting messages like this, for me, is pretty much it.  To know my work is having such an effect on others means the world to me, and if I were to not write another poem again, I will be content with what I've done.

Dear Ocean Vuong,

I recently shared your website and poems with a dear friend of mine. We’re both old guys in our sixties. Thus, my friend has vision problems and types email in all caps. This is the note he sent and said it would be okay to share with you and Bryan Borland.

“DEAR R,

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CONNECTION TO OCEAN VUONG AND HIS WORK A VERY GIFTED AND PROFOUND FINE YOUNG POET I PASSED THE LINK TO MY FRIEND AUDE .... VERY FRENCH.... VERY SENSITIVE WHEN WE SAW EACH OTHER AT COFFEE WE HAD BOTH EXPERIENCED THE SAME RESPONSE READING 'KISSING IN VIETNAMESE' WAS A COMPLETE AND OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCE EACH OF US HAD STOPPED WITH THAT POEM AND SAVED OTHERS FOR ANOTHER DAY SHE SAID THERE WERE TEARS STREAMING DOWN HER FACE BUT SHE WAS NOT CRYING SIMPLY, COMPLETELY, AND TOTALLY MOVED

AS OUR SOCIETY SLIPS INTO THE ABYSS IT HELPS ME TO BREATHE A BIT OF HOPE KNOWING SOME MEANINGFUL ART IS BEING CREATED AND A FEW ARE AWED AND TRANSFIXED”

Ocean, thank you for being here. Thank you for your poetry.

Best regards,

R