Lotus

Although the lotus flower grows in a muddy place, it is strangely pure, each petal still lifts its head towards the dawn, still emitting a rich fragrance without the “fishy smell of mud”. Since then, the lotus flower has become the inspiration of countless Vietnamese poets and painters.

“Slender body in the pond

Sometimes the shirt is white, sometimes it’s peachy

Inside the yellow bib is sunny

Wide blue skirt fluttering in the wind

When spring comes, she shows off her beauty

Summer is about a shadow you exchange

Purifying mud and water without dirt

Pure sweet light fragrance!”

This poem by poet Nguyen Tam is dedicated to the painting Sen by painter Nguyen Thinh.