The Chinese Spirit: a Mythological Review by Yuan Changming
Unlike your legendary Alexander the Great
None of us has come to conquer; nor are we
To be conquered (even by God), let alone any
Human artifacts or behaviours, including science
And tech blockades & tariffs. Rather, as Confucius
Has taught us, we always avoid talking of strange
Phenomena, feats of strength, disorder or sprits
Whereas we do worship our ancestors,
Especially those never accepting defeat
Such as the ever stubborn Houyi who persisted
In shooting down all the nine extra suns as they
Made the world too hot; the determined
Xingtian who soldiered on long after his head
Was chopped off; the old Mr. Fool who must
Remove the mountain blocking his way rather
Than relocating his cottage; the simple-minded
Jingwei who kept filling the East Sea with twigs
Where she was drowned; the devoted Dayu trying
To contain the Flood instead of escaping from
It in an ark as did your Noah (so cute & creative).