The poetry collection debuted on 25/8, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and Vietnam's National Day on 2/9. The 43 poems, inspired by the author and her colleagues' trips to the Truong Sa archipelago (Spratly Islands), express love for their homeland and honor the navy.

"Four Seasons of Flags" cover, 106 pages, published by Nha Nam and the Writers' Association Publishing House. Photo: Nha Nam

Huynh Mai Lien portrays Truong Sa through the innocent eyes of a child. The lyrical protagonist is a fourth-grade boy, based on a real "healthy boy with tanned skin and sparkling eyes, the only fourth-grader in his class, who shyly shared that during tests, there's no one sitting next to him to peek at."

Affectionately called "son of the islands", the boy grows up amidst the winds and waves of the border, where his "School is by the shore / Surrounded by the vast sea," and "The islands are home / The storms are friends." Here, he learns his first lesson: "The first lesson / I always remember / Carefully written in my notebook / Hoang Sa, Truong Sa." The image of the red flag with a yellow star, a symbol of Vietnam's sovereignty, appears throughout the collection.

Illustrations by the author's daughter, Mai Khue, with vibrant colors and more mature lines than her previous works. Mai Khue has also illustrated several of her mother's poetry collections. Photo: "Four Seasons of Flags"

Nature appears both majestic and endearing through the boy's eyes, teeming with life. The poet personifies animals and plants, giving them souls: seagulls soar powerfully, puppies "admire" falling leaves, and dolphins and flying fish frolic. The boy listens to the waves in seashells, watches the birds, and recounts simple things. When he visits his grandparents on the mainland, he deeply misses the islands.

According to critic Hoang Thuy Anh, "Images like watermelons blossoming and bearing fruit amidst the salty dryness, a small dog accompanying the island soldiers, sharing their homesickness, a rooster crowing to wake the sun, or a simple, joyful meal are vividly recreated through a straightforward perspective and emotionally rich artistic sensibility."

On stormy days, the sea turns gray. In the boy's eyes, Mother Nature is angry. There are no boats or birds, only "winds chasing each other back and forth / Big waves crashing," yet soldiers silently "stand guard in the rain."

Half of Huynh Mai Lien's collection celebrates the navy. The soldiers are portrayed with simplicity and warmth, leaving a lasting impression. Their youth is dedicated to the nation, and they consider the islands their home. The soldier has "skin tanned by sun and wind / Dyed dark by the years / His hands are warm / Amidst the vast sea / His figure stands strong." Despite the scarcity of fresh water on the islands, the soldiers remain optimistic, adding color to their lives with flowers and vegetables grown on the "barren land". Far from home, they express their longing for family and the scent of their mother's clothes through song. In the poem "Red Longing", the poet writes: "The soldier sends his feelings / Through the flowing melody / He sings loudly / About a faraway homeland."

Poet Mai Lien said that at the beginning of the year, she planned to write a book about Tet (Lunar New Year). But, she ended up writing her first poems about the islands. "I thought it was just a fleeting feeling, but I quickly realized the strong urge every time I wrote; images and words about the islands kept flooding back. I embraced it and followed that inner call. For a while, there was always a small flag with beloved stamps from Truong Sa on the right side of my desk."

At the book launch and illustration exhibition for "Four Seasons of Flags", writer Do Bich Thuy commented: "The details in the poems are so familiar, I feel like I'm back in Truong Sa. The work touches upon the deepest emotions one experiences when setting foot there. This collection is not only for children but also for adults, awakening love for the homeland and pride in being Vietnamese."

Author Huynh Mai Lien and her daughter Mai Khue at the book launch on 25/8. Photo: Nha Nam

Huynh Mai Lien, 51, currently works at Vietnam Television. She is the author of numerous poems in Vietnamese textbooks for grades 3, 4, and 5, and has published several poetry collections including "The Sea is a Child" (2016), "Your Past" (2018), "Who Does Mom Love Most?" (2019), "Our Happiest Home" (2023), and "Flying Over Hoan Kiem Lake" (2024).

Chau Anh