Life beyond reach

by Nguyen Binh Phuong

The sleepwalker stops amidst the sky
standing above all sleeps
sunlight thunders in the orange
the sleepwalker searches for sunlight

Where the moon drops its light
the body strikes a note of rouge
the sleepwalker searches for body
which is lost in enthralling quietude

Quietude matted beside the highway
bewildered like the upside-down boat on shore
the sleepwalker crosses the sea on his breath
sensitive fingers are his oars

Under a larger-than-sunrise flag
the finisher takes a life-long sleep
the sleepwalker cannot reach this life

Non-sleepwalker forever gazes at the sky.

In Viet Nam, victims in a highway accident are usually covered with a sedge mat.