Le Thi Cong Nhan poem - I have a dream

The following translation of a poem was sent to me by a friend and is
also posted at the website listed below. Le Thi Cong Nhan is a lawyer
and dissident who was recently released from prison after completing
a three year sentence for her human rights work, but is now under house arrest.

This link includes the original Vietnamese version:

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I HAVE A DREAM
by Le Thi Cong Nhan


I have a dream
that one day
on earth
there will be no more
communists.


Then, my village peasants
will not have to work hard in the rice field
under the hot burning sun,
soaked in sweat
in the rainy storm,
lonely
in the empty rice field,
so the grain will be ripe
and full.
Yet
more than half must be given to feed the dictatorial communist
government
What's left?!


Then, my country's scholars
will raise their voice to the truth
Because the figure 8 handcuff
and provision 88 of the legal statute
will have been expunged
out of our thoughts.
With it go provisions 79, 87,
and 258 ...
abominable forever !
They are the unique products of our country
and of other socialist brethrens'
But
Comrades?
An evil axis to be more accurate !
Walking together
they usurp the wealth
to themselves
for eternity !


Then my country's poets and writers
will flood their thoughts fully
without
suppressing them,
hiding them,
hanging them,
bagging them,
or simply
forgetting them,
pretending that they don't have any honest thoughts
at all!


And then,
the poems and songs
from my country
will flourish
even if they have to start all over.
But
a single step
on the honest path (if you dare to join)
is enough to overwhelm you!
Really!
Try it!


When there is no longer a communist shadow
in my country
then the lawyer
will truly be
the heart of democracy!!
To deliver eloquent speeches, lecture,
debate, defend,
without being afraid
to be thrown in jail,
refusing to be
dumb witted
Refusing to praise and glorify the communist gang,
and a decomposed corpse (made of composite)!
To be great,
to be the only truth
on earth.


Then,
there will no longer be hardship
of the hard working laborors
with the dirt cheap salary
that cannot be any cheaper !


And there will no longer be any more calamity
that the spiritual leaders have to endure
because of their stubbornness
and of their characters,
to be foolish enough
to demand freedom of religions and religious beliefs,
and furthermore
to demand back
the confiscated properties that were taken unfairly from them,
in order to worship
God, the Almighty, the Lord
Our Creator,
and also
the Creator of the communists, too !
Because He is the One who gave life
to humankind.


Therefore, the communists,
if you are still breathing
then definitely that notion
must be meaningful! (I know it is).


So that
for those who still have a conscience
and some bravery left,
and some respect for themselves,
some honor
that they unexpectedly found
after having lost it (for a long time)
"strongly condemn"
and
"fiercely oppose"
the communist dictatorship regime,
ruthless and uncivilized,
wicked and barbaric,
ignorant at best,
lavishing the most,
delirious to the extreme,
deceitful as the gods !
etc...


Then,
everyone will find
the signification of their lives
is
to live for each other!
And to sacrifice for the human race,
for our brothers and sisters
created by our Creator
with Love!


I have a dream
that may not come true
in my life time,
and I venture to say/disclose/share
to cry out tragically
strongly and openly
to everyone to know
that:


I am not a mute,
I have ears and not deaf,
I have eyes and not blind,
and I have a heart (unfortunately) that still vibrates
a conscience that is not toothless
because it still has teeth
(it bites me every day!
And God is my witness!)
I have a head that still thinks
and dreams
about the things that are sublime,
but they are really simple things,
such as
Honest and Brave characters
the moral foundation
of a person !


But,
Who?
Will recreate and be the guardian
of this foundation?


"I,
(the little insignificant krill Le Thi Cong Nhan)
volunteer to lend
a hand."


Thus,
The Rest
Awaits
Someone?


(The police, when insulting me, usually call me "the little brat, the
little devil, the little kid, ... too young but already committed
serious crimes". I decided that I will not consider it a sin whatever
names they call me because, when I look at myself, I am truly very
young. So, I call myself "The insignificant little krill" just for
fun !?!?)