Letters and Lines: The Way of Love

Source: The S.E.A. Write Anthology of Asean Short Stories & Poems — The 30th Anniversary.

Douang Deuane Bounyavong is chief editor of the Dokked Publishing Company. She studied at Dong Dok Teachers’ Training College and received a BS and an MS in physics and chemistry from the University of Amiens and Poitiers in France. Douang Deuane was awarded the SEA Write Award in 2006 for her work ‘Athan Hang Phong Phai’ (The Forests’ Charm), a story of the life and struggles of a young teacher.

Now I will tell a story
a tale of days of old,
An illustration bold,
for you the world around
This tale will not be found
in holy book or sermon, See,
I myself prepared it, freely
led by heart and memory.

My heart is calling out
for me to write in verse.
The Cause of love rehearse -
that which all living beings feel
And that their souls reveal
and speak of with delight;
Speak of, answer, give
relate, and talk about.

My story, then, takes place
with growth, and narrowed by
With a hunter on his way
to shoot some game for meat,
Through the royal woods replete
with growth, and narrowed by
Dark vines whose twisting multiply
and all the trees embrace.

Abundant game was in those parts:
many an extraordinary bird,
Creatures both known and unheard
lived and slept and refuge found.
Birds in the trees did abound
or swarmed together on the wing.
Monkey, porcupine, pangolin
joined gibbon, monitors, civet cats.

The hunter looked all around him,
his heart satisfied and glad.
Now and again thoughts he had
fond thoughts of one small child,
His beloved son so mild,
apple of this eye, palm-sugar sweet.
How good a tiny bird to meet
and take back as a pet for him!

A fish trap for a cage would do.
He'd train him to speak many words
And morn and night find food for birds,
to feed it on insects and such.
To keep it fed would not take much
even leftovers he would get.
His son would prize his feathered pet
and before sleep it would sing, too.

A tiny sound, a soft, low keen,
hummed in his ear.
A bird-child, he knew, was near
His heart was full. He thought.
Concealed, he looked and sought
and watched with care,
And soon he saw it there
Before too long, he'd seen.

High on a branch of a nyang tree
one bearing many leaves was there
The nest of a bird of the air
was firmly holding.
The sound of small birds chirping,
the noise of birds twittering, told
Of nestlings it did hold
young, featherless, which could not fly.

Right now was the time
to steal one then backtrace
Before the bird's mother came back,
after looking for food.
The huntsman, with good
speed, boldly, and with cheer,
Pulled a branch down, near
and hurried up to climb.

An opportunity this ought
to be to show his love.
"I'll take hold of this dove
to honour my little prince.
My little beloved, since
this evening he'll wait for his dad
To meet with this bird he'll be glad,
my prince," the happily father thought.

But nearby a sound was heard
a trembling with suspicion:
"O Hunter, in your ambition
Don't make my heart break
This winking little fledging
is one I love so much.
I pray don't do such
harm and kill this tiny bird."

The hunter replied to the plea
that the ladybird had to say:
"My aim is not to slay
a young one of your flock,
But to take him to rear, to lock
him in a pretty cage
For my own little page
to see and hear with glee."

The mother bird in tears,
cried loudly, begged again:
"My child you want to gain
and in a cage to place,
And still your child will race
be free to jump and run
While my helpless little one
is locked in age and fears?"

"Oh, please think through with care;
consider what would happen
Think of your love so open;
and ponder if you would:
What if an elephant or tiger should
decide to take your son
Enclose him in a cage for fun,
for cubs' enjoyment, in their lair?"

"Your child he'd take, to raise he'd try,
to be companion to an animal
Deep in thickest jungle
forever away, and missing you
Abandon him to this would you?
For him would you not yearn;
Your heart with anxious thinking burn
what if he were to die?"

She could have flown rather than speak
escaped from him herself
But she looked at her nest itself
and covered it with her wing
In an attempt to protect
her young ones from this foe.
Her basis cried with woe;
together they did squeak.

The hunter, admiring, at her stared
his heart almost faint, his head
And his soul all confused
at her words and sorry plea.
He felt her pain; with pity and mercy
his heart full of suffering for her
Saw how wrong and cruel he was
Leapt down, and to his home retired.