From Whence to Whither
Chengdu, China
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Descending from Asia’s spine,
Fierce Min River crashed onto the Chengdu plain.
Through burning pyres and dousing buckets,
Sheer granite gave way to Dujianyan,
Inundation tamed, the dam-upon-the-capital nourished the land,
To this day resolute it stands, guiding
Faithful streams for two thousand springs,
Naming my hometown Kingdom of the Heavenly Court.
As a child I watched the water flow, wondering
From whence it came and whither does it go.
Southerly it flows, to a fateful rendezvous
With Yangtze, renowned Son of the Sea.
A placid Buddha, seventy meters tall,
Resides at this crossroads where roaring rivers contest their might.
More than a millennium he sat within the cliff,
A blessed sight for brave sailors turbulence tossed.
Yet, his watch is fraught by perils of new,
As civilization sheds its charge beneath his feet.
Weathered by impure waters and tainted fume of industry,
For how long can his vigil go.
Easterly, the water bore, across Three Gorges,
Lighting up the homes of millions in its haste,
To the end of journey Upon the Sea, Shanghai,
Pearl of the Orient, though what oysters still thrive
In the oil stained, nitrogen soaked, plastic seeped estuary
Awash with the refuse of a watershed the size of a nation.
The lights of The Bund, the wealth of that nation on full display,
shiny modernity, the past and the future swept into the shadows,
Splendid tragedy of a people who’s forgotten the waters that gave its birth.
I watch as the river flows past the towering skyline, symbol of how far we came,
My mind tracing it back in singular path, to the bambooed brook before my home.
Oh, how murky you have become in your journey of four thousand miles,
How blackened you have become in your journey of four thousand years,
As the coursing artery of a people you reared and loved.
My heart goes out to the Pacific,
Now you know where all this comes from, but to where can it go?
Reflection
Reflection
It began with a family trip last summer as my baby sister was about to start elementary school. My family decided it would be a great opportunity to take her on trip across the country to see the beautiful heritage and natural wonders China has to offer. Watching the eyes of a child light up in wonder at these sites is an inspiring reminder of the natural reverence that resides in our hearts as the stewards of our environment. I have always been a fan of history and heritage, of lore and stories, even today. The story of our country’s water is no less connected to us across both distance and time; its tragedy is no less poignant if such legacy were to decay on our watch. The Chinese civilization has always been cognizant of its waters, the waterworks of Dayu in the Yellow River being our founding mythology. Yet, in modern times, it seems like we are too adsorbed in everyday existence to see where we and the water came from, and where it will go. The water has been here long before us and it will be here long after. This project has reminded me that I am merely a part of something much greater, both culturally and environmentally. We must concentrate our efforts to reduce energy waste, demand oversight on waste discharge, and emphasize sustainable habits over the instant gratification of convenient services like food delivery. After all, we have, on several occasions in the past, shaped the course of our country’s water through monumental collective effort. And I’m sure we can do it again.