Language of Poetry
An educated man, Ngo Dinh Diem
believed in the power of words
to make a difference in the world
of things. So in a poetic gesture
he renamed the dangerous provinces
west of his capital, calling them
"Hua Nghia," a literary cliché that means
deepening righteousness. He called
the district center "Khiem Cuong,"
modest but vigorous, replacing
the old name "Bau Trai," round farm.
In the summer of 1963 the word was
becoming flesh. The president meant
to deceive the spirits of the air & earth
who had lived long in that place
but they were not fooled, even by poetry.
[from Magical Thinking / OSU Press 2001]
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Joseph Duemer
School of Liberal Arts / 5750
Clarkson University
Potsdam NY 13699
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