Mao's little red book

The Yellow River

with a mighty brown flood,

and the Yangtze

with potent dragon's blood:

millions of buried ghosts,

bodies dead or alive!

brave protesters in Hong Kong

finding it hard to thrive

inside Mao's little Red Book,

raising their heads for a gambler's quick look.

See!  there's the Great Wall:

a Terracotta army of the first Emperor

holding swords and shields, standing tall.

Dynasties leading deeply into times that last

with echos of great tragedies

from present to distant past.

fields of plenty and loss

almost too far to walk across;

sprawling cities on expansive coastal plains;

thunder beyond the near mountains followed by torrential rains,

arriving early or leaving too late,

keen eyes sipping pearl milk tea served on a special China dinner plate,

too proud to kneel

for another expensive Western meal!