by Cheryl Corey

Two oceans separate our continents;
Still, we’ve this in common—governments
Engaged in purely political persecution,
Yours having perfected the execution.
Practitioners of Falun Gong convicted
By farcical trials; from their homes evicted;
Removed from what was once a tranquil bower,
And held in prisons worse than London’s Tower.

Horrid! The cacophony of tortured cries;
The tyranny of government, its lies;
The innocents then beaten unto death;
The organ harvest after final breath;
The jailer’s keys clinking in the corners,
Indifferent to the families of mourners;

The “lucky” ones are sent to labor camps,
To suffer humiliation, hunger cramps;
Banished from their jobs and education,
Subjected to indefinite duration;
Their fundamental human rights denied;
Even when they’re free, they’re cyber-spied,
Their lives forever under a microscope;
And yet, we must have faith. There’s always hope.

It’s oft been said that life’s a bitter sea,
But someday … someday, China will be free.

* * *

 

Recognized as an Honorable Mention in FoFG’s 2023 Poetry Contest