Write a Poem on One of These Hong Kong Protest Images The Society November 12, 2019 Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Ekphrastic, Poetry 14 Comments The above images are from the pro-democracy protests going on right now in Hong Kong, as the populace peacefully resists communist-controlled authorities. Today, there are no free elections in Hong Kong and the region’s chief executive is appointed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing. The image on the left is a protest poster being used and the image on the right apparently shows a protester dead or near death after police violence, as can be seen in a recent video here. Write a poem on one or both images and post it in the comments section below. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 14 Responses Susan Jarvis Bryant November 12, 2019 “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” ~ Ronald Reagan “Go, Hong Kong! Go!” ~ Susan Jarvis Bryant Loose Lips Let each and every voice be free to sing in silken reverie to soar with creativity to spit its ire and devilry – to speak. Let each and every voice be free to flirt with nonconformity to blurt its eccentricity to spurt its blue hilarity – to shriek. Let each and every voice be free to pray in hushed humility to bray in boastful revelry to weigh both truth and treachery – to seek. Let each and every voice be free to decry wily piety that tethers tongues alleged to be the absolute epitome of hate. Let each and every voice be free to synchronize in harmony to gladden you and sadden me before a life of misery’s our fate. Let each and every voice be free to grumble with impunity to spill the spiel that’s non-PC before the chance of liberty’s too late! Reply Mike Bryant November 12, 2019 You have cut to the essence of what freedom is all about. So apt and so beautifully written, of course. Reply Mike Bryant November 12, 2019 Everything rests on our freedom of speech. So beautifully done. Reply Joseph S. Salemi November 12, 2019 I blame the Brits. In ’97 Hong Kong was a bit of heaven. Prosperity and freedom reigned — Speech was never kept restrained. The people were at peace. What’s more, They hoped that, just like Singapore, They might become a full-fledged state To save them from the horrid fate Of being grabbed by Commie claws And living under leftist laws. But our British friends finked out. They didn’t have the guts or clout To tell the Commies to piss off. All they did was hem and cough And dither in vague indecisions. They should have sent a few divisions Of crack troops, plus a naval fleet And told Beijing “We won’t retreat — We owe it to the people here Who cherish freedom. Is that clear?” Instead, the British lion mewed. And folks in Hong Kong now are screwed. (My apologies to James Sale. Nothing personal is meant.) Reply James Sale November 14, 2019 No offence is taken, Joe: every country has its moments of glory, and then sadly falls into a torpor which represents its decline. I am sincerely hoping that in this forthcoming General Election in the UK that Boris Johnson can win a substantial majority; that we can actually exit the EU; that we can start reversing the socialism/communism that has been enervating the country for so long; and thereby we can become a great country once more. Reply D Robin November 13, 2019 UNCIVIL WAR The young who stretch across the karmic past Are ransacked like they’re dander or massed fleas, For dogs of war have trashed their home and cast A law that barks: “We will do as we please. “We’ll kneel your faces into floors for cars; We’ll smash you, grab you, press down human skin To grate on asphalt surfaces for scars; And yes, our batons will break bones within, “And yes, our rubber bullets bruise and stain, Our smoke bombs burn, our fear thumps on your door; And yes, we’re on a leash, but we give pain; Our claws rip through your clothing leaving gore; “And yes, our ammunition we contain As guns go off and leave you on the floor; We do not shoot to kill but shoot to gain Big footholds in the propaganda war.” The clear world knows this is not civil war. This is not brother’s brothers, sister’s sisters, Gangs of rich on rich or poor on poor. This is mainland China’s import twisters, ID-less battlers spun as local cops Or in disguise as protesters in vests. It’s less in-fighting than masked mainland drops Of communists trained hard to make arrests. Reply Mark F. Stone November 13, 2019 Freedom To guarantee we don’t become a tyrannocracy, we must maintain the right to arms, the font of liberty. Reply Joseph S. Salemi November 13, 2019 Mark, for that I’ll give a cheer — But don’t say it at Eratosphere. Reply Paul Oratofsky November 13, 2019 Wowie zowie. I’m highly impressed with all these creations. Reply D Robin November 14, 2019 There is a song “The Revolution will not be Televised”. This is from the 1970s when tv cameras were big and clucky. Luckily for the HK protesters nearly every citizen is a reporter with a mobile phones poised to upload videos to the internet, and many with PRESS protection with ready outlets. Keep Shooting The P.L.A. manoeuvres threats close by, Shadow boxing in the public eye. Across the river – Hope behind a mask, Tear bombs muffled in a metal flask*. Dark Party poison oils your Hong Kong home: Sin’s molasses squeezed through honeycomb. They want your infrastructure swamped by clans Not democracy’s cool-headed fans. They’d strap your water flow and gag your throat; They’d make ‘The China Sea’ their castle moat; They’d drain you dry, they’d dam your food supply – If only friends with lenses weren’t close by. Automaton police in bulbous clothes, Bludgeon truncheons up through Hong Kong’s nose. Umbrellas liquidate the lethal dose For there are friends with lenses standing close. * https://clashdaily.com/2019/09/watch-what-happens-when-hong-kong-protesters-have-tear-gas-lobbed-at-them/ Reply D Robin November 15, 2019 HK’s Young Police and Protesters For years they had treasures in common, Their youth and shared future, their sky. Then enter the inhuman dragon To claim its red stakes, do or die. Reply D Robin November 15, 2019 “Enter the Dragon” was martial artist Bruce Lee’s last film. He died, aged 32, soon after completing his role. In the film he is a martial arts master from Hong Kong who is persuaded by a British intelligence agent to go to an island to help uncover large scale drug trafficking and prostitution. At the end of the film prisoners are released to take part in a major battle and the authentic military come in to firm up the restored order. Though the film was made in Hong Kong, there’s slim chance of that ending today. No liberation from from HK’s previous protectors, the British (as mentioned above by J Salemi); nor the U.S., the erstwhile unofficial World Police; nor NATO and the E.U. who could intervene in the same way that Britain or the U.S, or any nation concerned with human suffering and justice could; nor any U.N. Peace Keeping Force. Real life, films, and principles occupy different parts of the world. But might it be prophetic that Lee breaks the neck of Jackie Chan, playing a guard for the traffickers, in the movie? Jackie Chan is prominent with the CCP and not popular in HK. He has criticised the umbrella movement and the present protests https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016609/hong-kong-protests-embrace-bruce-lee-reject-jackie-chan Reply Gerard Traub November 22, 2019 This poem is dedicated to all of the good people of Hong Kong and their struggle for freedom amidst the storm of Beijing’s decades of oppression and brutality of its own citizens. May their extraordinary courage never waver! Upon A Butterfly’s Dream Upon a butterfly’s dream rising against the storm never a wavering wing or fluster of colour as waters breathe quiet under rage of air beckoned to its journey where new worlds discovered. By witness of sun and countless stars greeting every dawn and darkest sky upon a butterfly’s courage rising against the storm the promise from pupa awakening to the prize. D Robin November 26, 2019 鷓鴣天·無寐 獅子山頭赤焰燒，香江影黯夜風高。 一聲槍響天驚破，廿載人痴夢盡銷。 望明月，想弓刀。何當一怒斬邪妖。 生逢亂世難高枕，無寐心潮似海潮。 [注] 一聲槍響天驚破：指8月25日的荃灣遊行被清場過程中有警察開槍，這是「反送中」以來警察第一次動用真槍實彈。此外，警方還首次動用了裝甲車和水炮車。 廿載人痴夢盡銷：香港「回歸」二十年多年，相當一部分人們對一國兩制尚存幻想，「反送中」運動中，中共的邪惡暴露無遺，人們徹底從迷夢中驚醒，所謂回歸只是一場淪陷。 白雲詩社網站鏈接 https://www.whitecloudpoetrysociety.org/chinese-poetry/2019/10/11 Sleepless Night by Xi Yuan translated by Jennifer Zeng and Damian Robin Lion Rock is burning. Hong Kong’s night-whipped shadows cannot hide One breaking gunshot shocking heaven, twenty years of dream destroyed. The half moon’s sharp, think arrows/knives. Let’s slay the demons of the void! Born in chaos, hard to rest, hearts churn through sleepless, nighttime tide. note: 1: On August 25th, the Hong Kong police fired the first live round at the protesters since the “anti-extradition bill” protests started in June. The police also displayed water cannon and armored vehicle for the first time. 2 : Many people have harbored illusions for the “One Country, Two System” system for more than 20 years since Hong Kong was taken back by the Communist regime. However, during the “anti-extradition bill” protests, people have been totally awakened from that illusion, and realized that the so-call”returning to motherland” is more like occupation by the enemy. Link to poems on White Cloud Poetry Society (WCPS) https://www.whitecloudpoetrysociety.org/chinese-poetry/2019/10/11 Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Susan Jarvis Bryant November 12, 2019 “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” ~ Ronald Reagan “Go, Hong Kong! Go!” ~ Susan Jarvis Bryant Loose Lips Let each and every voice be free to sing in silken reverie to soar with creativity to spit its ire and devilry – to speak. Let each and every voice be free to flirt with nonconformity to blurt its eccentricity to spurt its blue hilarity – to shriek. Let each and every voice be free to pray in hushed humility to bray in boastful revelry to weigh both truth and treachery – to seek. Let each and every voice be free to decry wily piety that tethers tongues alleged to be the absolute epitome of hate. Let each and every voice be free to synchronize in harmony to gladden you and sadden me before a life of misery’s our fate. Let each and every voice be free to grumble with impunity to spill the spiel that’s non-PC before the chance of liberty’s too late! Reply
Mike Bryant November 12, 2019 You have cut to the essence of what freedom is all about. So apt and so beautifully written, of course. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi November 12, 2019 I blame the Brits. In ’97 Hong Kong was a bit of heaven. Prosperity and freedom reigned — Speech was never kept restrained. The people were at peace. What’s more, They hoped that, just like Singapore, They might become a full-fledged state To save them from the horrid fate Of being grabbed by Commie claws And living under leftist laws. But our British friends finked out. They didn’t have the guts or clout To tell the Commies to piss off. All they did was hem and cough And dither in vague indecisions. They should have sent a few divisions Of crack troops, plus a naval fleet And told Beijing “We won’t retreat — We owe it to the people here Who cherish freedom. Is that clear?” Instead, the British lion mewed. And folks in Hong Kong now are screwed. (My apologies to James Sale. Nothing personal is meant.) Reply
James Sale November 14, 2019 No offence is taken, Joe: every country has its moments of glory, and then sadly falls into a torpor which represents its decline. I am sincerely hoping that in this forthcoming General Election in the UK that Boris Johnson can win a substantial majority; that we can actually exit the EU; that we can start reversing the socialism/communism that has been enervating the country for so long; and thereby we can become a great country once more. Reply
D Robin November 13, 2019 UNCIVIL WAR The young who stretch across the karmic past Are ransacked like they’re dander or massed fleas, For dogs of war have trashed their home and cast A law that barks: “We will do as we please. “We’ll kneel your faces into floors for cars; We’ll smash you, grab you, press down human skin To grate on asphalt surfaces for scars; And yes, our batons will break bones within, “And yes, our rubber bullets bruise and stain, Our smoke bombs burn, our fear thumps on your door; And yes, we’re on a leash, but we give pain; Our claws rip through your clothing leaving gore; “And yes, our ammunition we contain As guns go off and leave you on the floor; We do not shoot to kill but shoot to gain Big footholds in the propaganda war.” The clear world knows this is not civil war. This is not brother’s brothers, sister’s sisters, Gangs of rich on rich or poor on poor. This is mainland China’s import twisters, ID-less battlers spun as local cops Or in disguise as protesters in vests. It’s less in-fighting than masked mainland drops Of communists trained hard to make arrests. Reply
Mark F. Stone November 13, 2019 Freedom To guarantee we don’t become a tyrannocracy, we must maintain the right to arms, the font of liberty. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi November 13, 2019 Mark, for that I’ll give a cheer — But don’t say it at Eratosphere. Reply
D Robin November 14, 2019 There is a song “The Revolution will not be Televised”. This is from the 1970s when tv cameras were big and clucky. Luckily for the HK protesters nearly every citizen is a reporter with a mobile phones poised to upload videos to the internet, and many with PRESS protection with ready outlets. Keep Shooting The P.L.A. manoeuvres threats close by, Shadow boxing in the public eye. Across the river – Hope behind a mask, Tear bombs muffled in a metal flask*. Dark Party poison oils your Hong Kong home: Sin’s molasses squeezed through honeycomb. They want your infrastructure swamped by clans Not democracy’s cool-headed fans. They’d strap your water flow and gag your throat; They’d make ‘The China Sea’ their castle moat; They’d drain you dry, they’d dam your food supply – If only friends with lenses weren’t close by. Automaton police in bulbous clothes, Bludgeon truncheons up through Hong Kong’s nose. Umbrellas liquidate the lethal dose For there are friends with lenses standing close. * https://clashdaily.com/2019/09/watch-what-happens-when-hong-kong-protesters-have-tear-gas-lobbed-at-them/ Reply
D Robin November 15, 2019 HK’s Young Police and Protesters For years they had treasures in common, Their youth and shared future, their sky. Then enter the inhuman dragon To claim its red stakes, do or die. Reply
D Robin November 15, 2019 “Enter the Dragon” was martial artist Bruce Lee’s last film. He died, aged 32, soon after completing his role. In the film he is a martial arts master from Hong Kong who is persuaded by a British intelligence agent to go to an island to help uncover large scale drug trafficking and prostitution. At the end of the film prisoners are released to take part in a major battle and the authentic military come in to firm up the restored order. Though the film was made in Hong Kong, there’s slim chance of that ending today. No liberation from from HK’s previous protectors, the British (as mentioned above by J Salemi); nor the U.S., the erstwhile unofficial World Police; nor NATO and the E.U. who could intervene in the same way that Britain or the U.S, or any nation concerned with human suffering and justice could; nor any U.N. Peace Keeping Force. Real life, films, and principles occupy different parts of the world. But might it be prophetic that Lee breaks the neck of Jackie Chan, playing a guard for the traffickers, in the movie? Jackie Chan is prominent with the CCP and not popular in HK. He has criticised the umbrella movement and the present protests https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016609/hong-kong-protests-embrace-bruce-lee-reject-jackie-chan Reply
Gerard Traub November 22, 2019 This poem is dedicated to all of the good people of Hong Kong and their struggle for freedom amidst the storm of Beijing’s decades of oppression and brutality of its own citizens. May their extraordinary courage never waver! Upon A Butterfly’s Dream Upon a butterfly’s dream rising against the storm never a wavering wing or fluster of colour as waters breathe quiet under rage of air beckoned to its journey where new worlds discovered. By witness of sun and countless stars greeting every dawn and darkest sky upon a butterfly’s courage rising against the storm the promise from pupa awakening to the prize.
D Robin November 26, 2019 鷓鴣天·無寐 獅子山頭赤焰燒，香江影黯夜風高。 一聲槍響天驚破，廿載人痴夢盡銷。 望明月，想弓刀。何當一怒斬邪妖。 生逢亂世難高枕，無寐心潮似海潮。 [注] 一聲槍響天驚破：指8月25日的荃灣遊行被清場過程中有警察開槍，這是「反送中」以來警察第一次動用真槍實彈。此外，警方還首次動用了裝甲車和水炮車。 廿載人痴夢盡銷：香港「回歸」二十年多年，相當一部分人們對一國兩制尚存幻想，「反送中」運動中，中共的邪惡暴露無遺，人們徹底從迷夢中驚醒，所謂回歸只是一場淪陷。 白雲詩社網站鏈接 https://www.whitecloudpoetrysociety.org/chinese-poetry/2019/10/11 Sleepless Night by Xi Yuan translated by Jennifer Zeng and Damian Robin Lion Rock is burning. Hong Kong’s night-whipped shadows cannot hide One breaking gunshot shocking heaven, twenty years of dream destroyed. The half moon’s sharp, think arrows/knives. Let’s slay the demons of the void! Born in chaos, hard to rest, hearts churn through sleepless, nighttime tide. note: 1: On August 25th, the Hong Kong police fired the first live round at the protesters since the “anti-extradition bill” protests started in June. The police also displayed water cannon and armored vehicle for the first time. 2 : Many people have harbored illusions for the “One Country, Two System” system for more than 20 years since Hong Kong was taken back by the Communist regime. However, during the “anti-extradition bill” protests, people have been totally awakened from that illusion, and realized that the so-call”returning to motherland” is more like occupation by the enemy. Link to poems on White Cloud Poetry Society (WCPS) https://www.whitecloudpoetrysociety.org/chinese-poetry/2019/10/11 Reply
