Raymond Gallucci, ‘Full On and Still Going’ and ‘Shoe Biz’ – 3rd Place Adult Award
Full On and Still Going
A movement for peace
And health to increase
Is twenty-year target of Chinese police.
The Communist state
Cannot tolerate
Belief to which citizens dare to relate.
Unless it’s aligned
As Party designed
To blindly conform to the Communist mind.
It’s really not new,
For Rome saw it too—
Inventing a threat from the Christians they slew.
The Catholics returned
The favor when burned
The Cathars and Templars, whom Vatican spurned.
Not only in past,
Just century last
The Nazis decided the Jews must be gassed.
It’s no mystery,
Throughout history
It’s fear of unknown that makes tyrants decree
A plan to erase,
Leave nary a trace
Of something they falsify as a disgrace.
Of all that they spout,
Should people find out
Brainwashing is what this has all been about.
So now Falun Gong
Has fallen among
The movements oppressors declare to be wrong.
So they persecute,
They torture, they loot
Its followers in genocidal pursuit
To bring to an end
This popular trend,
And into oblivion once for all send.
But history has shown
As far back as Rome
When try to eradicate movement, it’s grown
Until it’s become
Through much martyrdom
The victor to which its oppressors succumb.
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Shoe Biz
The striving for tranquility
With tolerance and honesty,
Compassionate philosophy,
Can thrive in a democracy.
But under rulers Communist,
A dictatorial abyss,
It’s swallowed by a toxic mist
Unyielding in oppressiveness.
Through torture, lies and even death
Has China choked the very breath.
A pogrom till there’s nothing left—
Its followers of hope bereft.
But still the movement carries on
Around the world—the Falun Gong
Lives even where it’s spat upon,
Adherents viewed as carrion.
While still alive, may organs lose,
Their corpses burned, expunging clues.
So easy China’s to abuse
Because we love their discount shoes!
* * *