Lusqhia: Pajhuam yub tab.
Zaj no yog sau rau cov meyes uas nyuam qhuav tuaj tim Vajloog Tsua tuaj, nyob St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tsaug Zog Ua Luaj
By Lee Thao November 2005
Cas kuv yuav tsaug zog ntev uas luaj
Yeej tsis nco tshuaj lub neej yav tom ntej
Yeej tsis quav jej nrog luag kawm txuj
Tsuas niaj hnub tsuj tus qub neev taw
Yeej tsis nco jaw nrog luag kawm ci
Tsuas pheej ua si ncig Vajloog Tsua
Yam niag las bua mag kaw guaj hlau
Thaum noj mov tsau ces pw zooj zoom
Yeej tsis nco pom tsis xav txog lwm yam
Yeej tsis nco vam tuaj mus Mekas
Yam li tus nas pheej zov qub qho
Thiaj li tsis nco tias tsam hmoov txog
Es ho tau nrog luag mus Mekas teb
Thaum qhov rooj qheb mus Mekas txog ntua
Yam li txoj hlua uas plam li plaws
Tag nrho sawvdaws tau mus Mekas
Kuv mam li ras kuv mam li pib
Yam tsob me dib txi txiv tsis muaj paj
Ces yuav ceeb laj nrog luag loj hlob
Kuv lub siab mob mas kawm tiag tiag
Leej twg lam wias kom tso kev kawm
Mas xav rho blawm kom ploj qab ntais
Tej lus kuv hais puas ntob nej thiab
Yog mob nej siab li tus kuv no
Cia li ris siab hlo txhob tsaug zog lawm
Rau siab jo kawm kom yus nrog luag txawj mog, cov kwv tij
Nyav Nyob Twg
By Lee Thao Spring 2006
Thaum peb tseem nyob Vajloog Tsua
Tej lus cua tias muaj nyav loj
Nyav yuav noj cov tawm teb chaws
Kawg sawv daws yuav tau tsiv gaum
Txhob mus caum cov Hmoob Mekas
Cov nyuag plas uas tsis paub dabtsi
Yuav mag khi pov rau nyav plab
Sawv tsheej pab hais lus sib whi
Hais cuag li nws yuav mag hlob
Zaum tsheej pob tsis kam txav chaw
Muab tub kaw tsis tau kawm txuj
Muab whais qhuj tsis tau kawm ci
Hais luag whi kom ua paj ntaub
Quj qhov taub tej chaw du tas
Yeej tsis nras txog tej lus cuav
Tsis kam ntuav tej niag lus dag
Hmoob Mekas hais los tsis jeeg
Yus tej neeg hais los tsis hnov
Thiaj gaum qhov txog tav li no
Yeej tsis nco mloog tej lus tseeb
Lus khav teeb nyav nyob qhov twg
Lus cha nthw dua twg tas lawm
Plas mag zawm ces yog peb ntag
Hais tsis dag rau sawvdaws paub
Txhob mus saub lub neej Thaib Teb lawm mog
Note: This is a poem for the students who newly arrived in St. Paul from Wat Tham Krabok, Thailand.
Hibernation
By Lee Thao April 2006
I was on hibernation for so long
And I was unaware of the future
Education was not on my plans
All the years, I set my feet in the same steps
I had no dream of coming to America
I was like a rat that couldn’t abandon its hole
Surprised! The welcoming door was open
Everyone was invited to come to the U.S.
I was shocked and sniffed out of my way
I had no doubt in my mind
That I was like a fruit without a flower
It had to be difficult for me in the civilized country
Now education is my priority
All my energy is on school
If anyone stands on my way
I wish him or her disappeared
Is there anyone see my perspective?
Let’s not going to hibernation
Let’s strife to achieve our educational goals
No one should be parish in the country of opportunity
The Monsters
By Lee Thao Spring 206
Back in Thailand,
The news of the bad monsters had been spread
That the Hmong who left their homeland would be eaten
That was why we were hiding, not following the dummies
The dummy owls would be tied and thrown into the mouth of the bad monsters
Parents whispered to one another as the monsters were near
They scared and sat there silently without a motion
This blocked the education of their sons
This also led their daughters to a dead end
But they happily convinced their daughters to make pandau
The pandau that would follow the dummies to America
The parents were unaware of the lie of the people
They mistrusted the Hmong Americans
And they failed to listen to their relatives in the U.S.
This ended us to the Wat Tham Krabok
After all, where were the bad monsters?
The scary news disappeared
I tell you, we were the captured owls
We should never miss Thailand any more