Falun Gong practitioners killed by the CCP.Winners of Friends of Falun Gong Poetry Competition Announced The Society May 13, 2023 Human Rights in China, Pantoum, Poetry, Poetry Contests, Villanelle 14 Comments . FIRST PLACE . Tooth and Claw a pantoum by Susan Jarvis Bryant Observe the tooth and claw of savage deed. Beware the ferric breath of looming dread. Don’t let the taunt of terror sow its seed— The heartless reap a harvest seeping red. Beware the ferric breath of looming dread On ill winds wafting from a shady shore. The heartless reap a harvest seeping red— The truth is leaking neath the Dragon’s door. On ill winds wafting from a shady shore Ghosts whisper of the fate of Falun Gong. The truth is leaking neath the Dragon’s door To ring from every bold and golden tongue. Ghosts whisper of the fate of Falun Gong In pleas that rise in prayers for those in pain To ring from every bold and golden tongue, To tell of horror’s fierce and hellish reign. In pleas that rise in prayers for those in pain Let’s speak for brave hearts robbed of song and sound. Let’s tell of horror’s fierce and hellish reign. Let’s stand for meek souls beaten to the ground. Let’s speak for brave hearts robbed of song and sound. Don’t let the taunt of terror sow its seed. Let’s stand for meek souls beaten to the ground— Observe the tooth and claw of savage deed. . A Reading of Susan Jarvis Bryant’s winning poem in this episode of Classical Poets Live: . . SECOND PLACE . The Gentle Ones (for Falun Gong victims of CCP torture) and. . . those that followed their doctrines met with hatred and were killed —Justin Martyr, about the Stoics by Monika Cooper The gentle ones are not always the tame. The tyrants fear truth tellers most of all: A movement they can’t understand, a name Unknown to them or theirs the people call. We know the Stoics, men of discipline And calm, who met with hatred and were killed. When hate meets virtue, which of them will win? When flowing movement, meaningful, is stilled, Arrested, bent into a wrenching pose Designed by enemies to double pain, Your limbs not free to hold the wheel, compose Your soul into the lines you learned again. Recall the poems. Say, deep within, the name. The gentle ones will never be the tame. . . THIRD PLACE . Bad China by James A. Tweedie On Christmas and Thanksgiving, the good China’s what we use. It makes the food taste better, whether turkey, ham or stews. All other times the ordinary China’s “good to go,” It’s sturdy and reliable, more “practical” than “show.” But hidden in the cupboard, back behind our plastic ware, We bury the bad China that we don’t trust anywhere. For though its surface looks just fine and dandy to the eye Its glaze had lead and other stuff that could cause folks to die. And underneath each plate is stamped a question in red ink: “This dish was made by Falun Gong and Uighurs, don’t you think?” It also says it’s “Made in China” in a workcamp jail. The red ink’s from the blood of folks they won’t let out on bail. Bad China chips quite easily, with edges that are sharp Enough to excise and transplant a person’s lungs and heart. The pattern on each plate seems fine and elegant as well— A pattern swiped from someone else’s copyright, do tell! And so, we eat and drink our fill and go our merry way, While with our blinkered eyes we blindly live from day to day. And on and on and on we go through life without a care, As long as we pretend that our bad China isn’t there. . . FOURTH PLACE . The Real Cost a villanelle by Joshua C. Frank We close our eyes to China’s Holocaust And funnel money to their torture stations Because we like to buy at lower cost. Good Falun Gong practitioners are tossed To killing floors by Chinese regulations— We close our eyes to China’s Holocaust. We look past slaughter with our hearts of frost, Comparing price in icy calculations, Because we like to buy at lower cost. While we, on “made in China” phones, accost With slogans backing brown-skinned populations, We close our eyes to China’s Holocaust. To buy cheap, blood-stained goods from them, we’ve glossed Over screams and dying lamentations Because we like to buy at lower cost. The cause of life, is that forever lost? The Dragon’s fire is fueled by richer nations— We close our eyes to China’s Holocaust Because we like to buy at lower cost. . . HONORABLE MENTION Read the Honorable Mention poems on the Friends of Falun Gong website here. . “In a School of Transformation” by Paul A. Freeman “A Continent Away” by Cheryl Corey “I Must Condemn the CCP!” by Roy E. Peterson “Falun Gong’s Plight” by Ofilwe Maloiso “Falun Gong” by Kevin MacAlan . . 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. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 14 Responses Petlwane Molotsi May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all the winners … The work of 26 magic symbols of written communication. Reply Michael Pietrack May 13, 2023 Congrats! What a line-up! Reply jd May 13, 2023 I join in congratulating all. Bravo! Reply Paul Freeman May 13, 2023 Congratulations to the winners. Well done! Reply ABB May 13, 2023 A lot of great poems here in the name of a good cause. Congrats to Susan—another feather in your cap! Reply Norma Pain May 13, 2023 Amazing poetry for a very good cause. Congratulations on your win Susan. Reply James Sale May 13, 2023 Congratulations all – good to read such fine poetry. Reply Margaret Coats May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all for your beautifully effective writing, and for the special effort you made to produce it, in honor of those pictured above and for all who are still suffering. Reply Joseph S. Salemi May 13, 2023 All the winners have produced excellent work, and each poem zeros in on the horrible persecution of Falun Gong, and the unmitigated evil of the Chinese Communist Party. Since coming to power, the CCP has murdered more persons through starvation, forced labor, executions, and concentration-camp confinement than the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany combined. Reply Paddy Raghunathan May 13, 2023 Congrats to all winners! Also, an honorable mention to everyone who participated. Best, Paddy Reply Joshua C. Frank May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all winners and honorable mentions, especially Susan! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant May 14, 2023 I am over the moon! Thank you for all the kind comments. My congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions – it is a real privilege to be among you in a competition that draws attention to pure evil so readily swept under the carpet in the interest of politics. The truth matters. Reply Mike Bryant May 14, 2023 Congratulations Susan. Your poetry always shines for freedom, truth and beauty. https://fofg.org/competitions/2023-poetry-competition-winners/ Reply Monika Cooper May 14, 2023 Congratulations, Susan and all. I pray justice and liberty for Falun Gong practitioners and all Chinese people. End the CCP! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Petlwane Molotsi May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all the winners … The work of 26 magic symbols of written communication. Reply
ABB May 13, 2023 A lot of great poems here in the name of a good cause. Congrats to Susan—another feather in your cap! Reply
Norma Pain May 13, 2023 Amazing poetry for a very good cause. Congratulations on your win Susan. Reply
Margaret Coats May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all for your beautifully effective writing, and for the special effort you made to produce it, in honor of those pictured above and for all who are still suffering. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi May 13, 2023 All the winners have produced excellent work, and each poem zeros in on the horrible persecution of Falun Gong, and the unmitigated evil of the Chinese Communist Party. Since coming to power, the CCP has murdered more persons through starvation, forced labor, executions, and concentration-camp confinement than the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany combined. Reply
Paddy Raghunathan May 13, 2023 Congrats to all winners! Also, an honorable mention to everyone who participated. Best, Paddy Reply
Joshua C. Frank May 13, 2023 Congratulations to all winners and honorable mentions, especially Susan! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant May 14, 2023 I am over the moon! Thank you for all the kind comments. My congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions – it is a real privilege to be among you in a competition that draws attention to pure evil so readily swept under the carpet in the interest of politics. The truth matters. Reply
Mike Bryant May 14, 2023 Congratulations Susan. Your poetry always shines for freedom, truth and beauty. https://fofg.org/competitions/2023-poetry-competition-winners/ Reply
Monika Cooper May 14, 2023 Congratulations, Susan and all. I pray justice and liberty for Falun Gong practitioners and all Chinese people. End the CCP! Reply