Something about that wall

Christian Century, Nov 2, 2004

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT WALL: In 1996 writer William Zinsser and his spouse met with Duong Tuong Tran, a writer, poet and Vietnam's most influential art critic. The Vietnam war didn't come up until Duong Tuong described his visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. He said he had written a poem while at the memorial, and offered to let the Zinssers read it. The Zinssers were moved to tears by the poem, whereupon Duong Tuong signed the poem and gave it to them:

   At the Vietnam Wall

   because i never knew you
   nor did you me
   i come

   because you left behind mother,
   father and betrothed
   and i wife and children
   i come

   because love is stronger than enmity
   and can bridge oceans
   i come

   because you never return
   and i do
   i come

(From William Zinsser, Writing about Your Life, Marlowe).