Yellow River
From its source to the sea and along its entire length
Including every tributary
The mighty Yangtze would if there was any justice
In this cruel world shed at least a single tear
One for each of those predominantly
Female breaths it stole in recent centuries
And all for the sake of some obscure law
Some archaic form of population birth control
However even the mighty Yangtze contains
Insufficient water to wash away the guilt entirely
For taking each and every one of those
Legitimate or bastard daughters
Go check out the bloated and decaying bodies
Those that form a log jam like over ripe bananas
In the most remote of eddies and the gullies
Of the so called mighty Yangtze
One can only imagine how many wives, mistresses
Lovers, scientists, engineers, orphans, artists, entertainers
Philosophers, teachers, farmers, doctors, prostitutes
Beggars and martyrs even
Who might have perished in those putrid flowing waters
And compelling undercurrents of the mighty Yangtze
Some it seemed escaped though and made their way
By some means or another to places of safety
Where now they live as only partial victims of a much despised
And decomposing culture
A changing culture though and now experiencing recurrent guilt
And frequent separation anxiety of its very own making…