‘China Song’ by Ron L. Hodges

A news report here provides some background on China Radio

Like Radio Free Europe,
Which popped the wax
Plugs from deafened Soviet ears,
And warmed their sterile souls
With tales of liberty,
China Radio wafts as pleasant song
Through the ears of benighted
Europeans, Australians, Canadians, and Americans,
Especially Americans
Extolling the virtues of Statism.
The pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong
Died from apathy, after all;
And Tibet is nothing to worry about;
Taiwan, likewise, is like our South;
Falun Gong, to be sure, is a cult
(Remember Jim Jones? David Koresh?);
And that Tiananmen thing? A Western distortion,
Politically-motivated nonsense;
China has opened up,
Is easing its strict hand on its people,
Which was a necessary and temporary practice.
See how they have reformed the One Child Policy?
Now woman can have two children
(But not a disabled one, obviously),
So long as they are married and pay a small fee,
Nothing egregious.
We are business partners, you know.
Don’t be concerned about those islands
In the South China Sea, purely defensive.
That’s what they are saying on China Radio,
Fourteen radio stations in North America say so.
They saved sinking stations
Because they believe in the soft power
Of information.
That’s why they get involved with Hollywood
And our university system.
You know about the Confucius Institutes, right??
Because ideas matter!
I heard all this on the radio.
So, China Radio is popping the wax
From our ears
So we can hear the beautiful song of Statism,
Like Radio Free Europe
Pierced the curtain of night.

Ron L. Hodges teaches English at the highly-regarded Oxford Academy High School in Cypress, California. His poetry has appeared in various publications, including The Society of Classical Poets 2015 Journal.

Trending now: