When The Birds Stop Singing
By Dao Van Binh
(Translated by Nguyên Giác)
When the birds stop singing
When the butterflies and the bees disappear
When the mountains and forests became barren
When the lakes and ponds dry up
When the dead fish float about
When the air blackens the lungs
you will see you are sitting in a hell
despite you are sitting next to piles of dollars
in a golden palace or a jewel castle
Hence I ask you
to give some dollars to help clean the earth
When the birds stop singing
When the husband and wife bicker at each other
with abusive words, not sweet words.
When the friends start seeing at one another
through the political eyes, not with brotherly kindness
and when the people gather
and have to guard against other political views
the world becomes a battleground.
When you defend Trump
you would lose your job and be called a racist.
When you support Clinton and Obama
You would be called a traitor or a leftist.
Oh, the political division of people is so weird and terrible.
When the birds stop singing
people begin to compete to win the power
that will give them happiness
and lots and lots of money.
When the birds stop singing
then the kids hate to run after dragonflies and butterflies
Instead, they will addict to play the games
whose scenes are full of innocent killings
where they could wear suicide-bomb vests.
When the birds stop singing
and the deer have no water to drink
the small creek turns sad
its life is going to end.
When the birds stop singing
the world still has only the Rock music, Football and Sex.
With skimpy clothing and sexy bodies
the girls are worshipped as the ancient “holy ladies.”
Millions of people are hungry for their images.
That is the religion in the electronic age,
a kind of religion that makes lots of money.
Becoming unneeded goods
morality and spirituality will be exhibited only in museums.
When the birds stop singing
the software will be the smart brains
and humans will be lifeless corpses
- just like the machines that will move when the buttons are pressed.
When the birds stop singing
all weapons have to be invisible
and the robots will replaces the pilots
- thus, nobody would see the dropping bombs
Then you and I will die
just like dying in a dream, very abruptly.
When the birds stop singing
the roses will wither soon
the sunflowers won’t bother to cry
the trucks will become the killing machine.
When the birds stop singing
people live for themselves, care not for others
and become the machines
- the machines that fulfill their sexual fantasies and kill enemies.
When the birds stop singing
you will want to be silent
Beware that you will be called a hypocrite
if you say moral words.
When the birds stop singing
prayers are useless
After the praying sessions, people get drunk
and will be more aggressive for the next killing action.
When the birds stop singing
half of the Mekong River will disappear
many cities will dip in the ocean water
- Jakarta, New Delhi, parts of Florida, and many others.
Moving to a safe place
the billionaires will buy mansions in Mars
The poor have to live here, waiting for death.
When the birds stop singing
despite billions of humans pray intensely
and even if the Savior comes here
the Earth will be just a hell.
(Excerpt from ‘The Discourse of Happiness’ to be published soon.)
Vietnamese version
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