Saigon, Vietnam. April 29th, 1975

"Aubade with Burning City" describes the invasion and evacuation of Saigon during the Vietnam War. Scenes of death and violence are interspersed with the lyrics of the song "White Christmas," which was played over radios as the American signal to evacuate the city. The city was about to be taken over by North Vietnamese troops, and so the South Vietnamese civilians who were in the city were frantically trying to escape, while the South Vietnamese soldiers were faced with an hopeless battle.

The Ship

In "Immigrant Haibun," the couple crosses the sea from Vietnam to the United States on a ship, which the husband steers. They travel through the sea, marveling at its beauty and power. Finally, they realize that their ship is just a ship in a bottle, and that they are on a mantel during a Christmas party.

Vietnam during the Vietnam War