PERHAPS | Original Poem by Vo Thi Nhu Mai and Reflection by Nelly Vee

KVI Network Creations · Poetry & Reflection

What if being truly heard matters more than being the same?

Original poem by Vo Thi Nhu Mai
Reflection and review by Nelly Vee

The original poem

PERHAPS

By Vo Thi Nhu Mai

Perhaps the stars know all about
That some hearts would speak the same song
Across the globe through time and space
Two wandering souls may find their spot

And yes it is rare perhaps a dream
To find a heart that hears your rhyme
Someone who pauses where you would cry
Who sees the dawn in your shades of grey

But tell me, is sameness what we seek?
Do you understand the words I say?
Can you see the world through my eyes
Brings new colours to my life for once

If only for one night, time will stand still
Let moonlight wander across the yard
Promises? No need. No words to display
Just two simple hearts, why have to hide

And if the morning should take you away
I’ll keep the music of that night for you
Some connections are miracles
Touching  the heart and no goodbye

Perhaps the rarest thing is your smile
No need to mirror my every thought
Perhaps it’s you who make me feel
That distances are never truly far

© Vo Thi Nhu Mai. Original poem reproduced with attribution.

A reading in Nelly Vee’s voice

Being Alike Is Not the Same as Being Understood

A reflection and review by Nelly Vee

Some encounters leave us with a question that distance cannot answer: is it enough to be understood, even for a moment?

In PERHAPS, Vo Thi Nhu Mai begins with a beautiful possibility. Somewhere beyond familiar streets and daily routines, another person might hear a rhythm like our own. The stars set the scene, but the poem’s deeper concern is very human. What does it mean when someone recognizes a part of us we thought nobody could see?

The question that stays with me is about sameness. I think we often confuse agreement with understanding. They are not the same. A person can repeat every opinion we hold and still fail to hear what we are trying to say. Someone else may see life through a completely different lens and understand the silence behind our words.

Mai gives that difference room to breathe. The speaker wants to be seen, not copied. The image of dawn within grey shades strikes me because it does not deny the grey. We all have experiences that shape how we read the world. When someone brings another colour into that picture, the past does not vanish. We simply discover that our view was never the only one possible.

Then the poem moves into a single night, without demands or promises. I respect that choice. Not every meaningful encounter must become a claim on another person’s future. A moment can be genuine without being permanent. Its value does not disappear when morning comes.

There is a psychological truth in that restraint. We want certainty because uncertainty makes us vulnerable. Yet connection also asks us to allow another person to remain fully themselves. We cannot call it understanding if we insist that their thoughts, timing, and path must mirror our own.

The closing lines do not pretend that miles cease to exist. Instead, they ask how much distance matters after something within us has changed. I hear an invitation to look beyond physical nearness and pay attention to presence, listening, and the respect two people bring to an encounter.

For me, this poem is not simply about finding somebody who speaks our language. It is about recognizing a person whose differences do not silence us. That kind of understanding is rare, and it deserves more than a passing glance.

— Nelly Vee

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Explore another poem by Vo Thi Nhu Mai · Visit the poet’s website