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