In Vietnamese literature and music, we tend to personify Nature’s creations. This is evident in the fact that we have a folklore and/or a song for literally every plant you can think of. The language in our songs often uses Nature as a medium to convey a message. Example: "drifting water Hyacinths" is an imagery used repeatedly to symbolize uncertainty, the fate of the poor, or lost love.

This concept is similar to the language of the Potawatomi Nation, which is discussed in great length in the book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” where the author explains that instead of ”the river”, the language says “to be a river.” Unlike English, which treats everything as objects, Potawatomi language treats these entities as beings, which immediately highlights how differently the two cultures view and treat these subjects.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get lost in “to be woods.”