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Brilliance by an Eye, Insights on the Sky
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Narrative Free-Verse by Cen Xinyan (Crystal)

Illustration by 

Cen Crystal (2).png

 

Glance up high– 

 

Brilliance is up by an eye; insights are placed on the sky
Crafted in a scintillating and clever manner by Mozi and Lu Ban’s philosophical mind 
The brilliant construction, aimed with purpose, provides guidance as it flies
Fine silk, and resilient bamboo to sketch a framework they find

 

Follow the line–

 

Trace a deliberate intention of invention in China’s early warring period 
Civil unrest and foreign attacks call for a need in an accessible, yet handy-smart assistance
Sending a message, vividly lucid on the blues, for a rescue mission with this method 
Intelligence to communication with a diligent measure for necessary resistance 

 

Is the weather fine? –

 

Over the walls of the city, with its recorded length– Han Xin threw 
To determine the extent of distance his army would attack with while pass defense
Sailors were tied to it–before sailing shores of possibilities–to deliver a clue 
To interpret the voyage’s temper–coarse or tender–for how successful the shipping may sense 

 

Make it your best sign–

 

Combining fibrous fabric for the face and robust-sturdy bamboo for the line 
Fitted and adjusted in multitude of vibrant circumstances it may function to aid 
Decorated with colors, inspiring innovations, for religious ceremonies to shine 
Supplied with hooks for fishing and attached to whistles for lively-authentic tunes to play 

 

To spread and define through time–  

 

Brilliance is up by an eye; insights are placed on the sky
Crafted in a scintillating and clever manner by Mozi and Lu Ban’s philosophical mind 
Through the Silk Road, it became exceedingly widespread and identified
Feng Zheng, or Kite, a splendid Chinese invention for us to have pride

 

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