We called him Anh Long, Brother Long
Just because he was a few years older than us
We met one another
Every year
for the last 21 years, except the last three of Covid, I counted.

Since the first time in 1999, talking about finding a peaceful solution
to the South East Asian Sea conflict in New York City
And reforms in Vietnam
We drank wine in Aix-en-Provence, France
Beer in Munich
We ate fisherman soup Halászlé on the Danube River, in Budapest
Or Maine Lobsters cooked by Brother Long in Bangor
And discussed issues relating to Vietnam and the world
Sometimes, among a hundred of us.

Many brought papers for discussion on our yearly Summer Seminars
We wanted to find the facts,
We wanted to find out what is right and what is wrong
Searching for elucidation.

We always had Brother Long
Who organized the first teach-in to protest against the war in Vietnam
Southern Illinois University
1972.

But somehow, we have no leaders, no organization
and somehow, we met just for the sake of meeting one another

In the Bay Area, thousand twenty two,
The last time - Just last year
I saw you and asked the question I should have asked 48 years ago:
Why “Thời báo Gà” “the Chicken News”, the news on “the chickened out”.
You referred to our common saying, "Gà cùng một mẹ chớ hoài đá nhau"
- Chicken from the same mother should not fight against each other.

And now you have gone
In PEACE.
Maybe, we’ll see one another
...One day.