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The Sixty-Four Rulers of the Yi Jing

The Sixty-Four Rulers of the Yi Jing When chieftains uncrowned yearn to be enthroned They either give their daughters to princes Or invite other chieftains and have them poisoned Some choose the war-path without hindrances And lose their lives wives their land masses In days of yore we call smirk as dark ages Today’s chieftains also own land masses Stars with stripes pedigree business managers Lawmen who make millions helped by judges Generals in command of battalions Through coup d’Etat fulfil ill-nursed grudges All scions sired by pur sang stallions Who won elections with money from banks Or the pennies dropped by party members All paths leaders take to the top while thanks They give not to those who toiled to hoist masters What may the difference be with then and now One man still decides the fate of one’s country No man can encompass all the know-how Any man can lose cool and berserk thrash free When the going gets tough under pressure When vested interests pull tout azimuth Is divine right a blessing rained down treasure Or the servile mind’s habit of staying put If sixty-four wise men ran a country According to the dictates of the Yi Jing The world will neither know war nor treaty The future will be assured for every being (c) T. Wignesan - Paris, 2017

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017




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Book: Reflection on the Important Things