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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Spring (as in the season) (11/28/05)
Christmas whisks past

The unknowledgeable ghost of this

The birth and sacrifice of a Savior

Left forgotten in their midst



What could fill the winter months

Of this Communist abode?

The name of Jesus never spoken

And hence grossly unknown



Then February comes along

And devil's idols play

Dragon's faces grace the streets

Pagan drums in intense relay



It's a reason to celebrate

A reason like no other

Why celebrate a Savior's birth

When you're a mammon lover?*



So in giving "lucky money"

In hopes for more to spend

Children's hearts filling with empty joy

Of a means to an end



This holiday not based on "love"

As our Western counterparts claim

But their superstitious nature

Based on seeking lies and pain



So let's burn our incense to our ancestors**

They'll know what to do

The dead know all, don't you know?

They will know the truth



It's ironic that car accidents triple

Around this holiday time

And firecrackers constant detonating

Taking children's lives



But in the spirit of festivities

Throughout the time of Spring

Check your Chinese sign to see***

What distortion this year brings



In innocence we outsiders think

"Oh, how interesting their beliefs"

Without attributing the loss of soul

Nay, loss of humanity



The Bible says specifically

These rituals are wrong

But worshipping a dragon****

Should clinch the symbolism in this throng



Yet, they do not know, they do not care

And red and gold prevails

Literally making themselves deaf and blind

By obeying traditional tales



Lucifer, that mighty dragon

He comes here once a year

Rewards their black hearts for their worship

and whispers in their ears



"You fools, you wish for money!

I can give you more of that

You will become my army*****

And I will make your spawn grow fat"



So think twice this February

And Spring does come along

Those Chinese friends and family

Who innocently play along



They're doing the devil's bidding

With the incense that they burn

And letting him gain power

As true Christians remain unlearnt



You let witches get punished

For the evil they bring

But don't let the Chinese get away

With this as dangerous thing



As gradual acceptance comes

The entire world is doomed

Jesus help us save the blind

For we know you're coming soon





* Luke 16:13; Prov 23:4-5; Heb 13:5


** 1 Timothy 4:1; Leviticus 19:26,31; 20:6,27; Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Isaiah 8:19,20


*** Rev 18:23


**** Rev 12:7; John 8:44


***** Rev 19:19
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
12/07/05
I leared a lot about Chinese New Year by reading this! Thank you!

Instead of asterisks, just author's notes at the end, since you're not directly quoting the scriptures. And I don't think you meant "literally" making themselves deaf and blind; perhaps leave that word out.

Thanks for writing this thought-provoking poem!
Marilyn Schnepp 
12/10/05
Winter? Yes. New Year? yes. But it took 15 verses until I saw the word SPRING. "The Challenge" was set up to see how creative a Writer could be on a given Subject.

I scrolled, scrolled and kept scrolling until third from last verse...I saw SPRING! Even the Title is lacking in the subject at hand. This essay or free style poetry would be great on another Assigned Subject I am sure. But if you want Honesty in a critique, That's it in a nutshell. God BLess.
B Brenton
12/13/05
I have to reply.
To answer Jan's comments: Come to China during Spring festival, and you'll see how literal it really is. I'm not looking forward to having my senses bruatally voilated for another year.

To answer Marylin's:
The holiday of Chinese New Year is called 'Spring Festival' sorry if I didn't make that clear.
But it is in Spring, it is called Spring Festival and perhaps I should have used that in the title instead of 'Chinese New Year'...
;) My bad.

-- hope anyone reading learns a thing or two. I'm not a holiday hater. I even celebrated Halloween this year with my kids! but living in China, something about this holiday irks me.
Julianne Jones
12/13/05
Wow! This was a real eye-opener. I suspect that when you live in a foreign country you seem less de-sensitised to the spirit worship that occurs - I know that was my experience - and so can more easily discern it in the customs and traditions.
I would love to see you write more poetry - this was really great and I easily pictured the story you wove.
My only suggestion would be to change the line "But don't let the Chinese get away" since I felt some might construe it as racist (I know it's not because I know your love for the people - I just wonder if there's a better way to say this).
Bridget, I really enjoyed this and thought it was wonderful. Well done and good on you!

Julianne Jones
12/13/05
Meant to say, that I thought it fitted the topic perfectly. I understood that it was a Spring festival from your references to winter and February.