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Brian Chung Poem
I yearn for every moment to be a delight
For worry and stress to give way
To endless days of leisurely respite
From now until forever and ever
Let me fear no more and have no need for hope
Let me sit under a linden tree and just abide
In the bliss of serene stillness.
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
Night falls and the mirror moon illumes the
heavenly starry skies with gleaming ivory beams.
Shiny and mellow, a splendrous silver orb,
the delight of the night sky!
It is the evening of the 15th, and the cool air is fair,
filled with chirping crickets and reason for revelry.
Kinfolk gather to rejoice within the warmth of their hearth,
toasting with mulled wine ; munching moon cakes!
But today is also sacred and solemn, and offerings
must be made to Heaven and Earth. Thus, scented
sandalwood incense are lit ; apricots and pomelos are placed
upon lacquer plates before the plaques of divine gods,
and dear ancestors.
Away from laughter and lanterns, besides a quiet lake,
and under a lofty peak, sits a sagacious couple. She smiles
and plays the guqin, sending with each skillful stroke,
soft and serene sounds that grace the ethereal night's air.
As for him, he stands pleased under the pavilion, inhaling
the sweet scents of blooming peach blossoms, and admiring
the moon as it rose and the beauty of his wife before the
bright shimmer of moonlight.
Content, he recites a poem:
“The moon is luminous,
Heaven is harmonious,
Autumn has come,
And Summer is gone,
I toast my cassia wine,
To a harvest most fine!”
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
The lament of an evil man on the eve of death:
“It is twilight in paradise
And the end of my idle life
Of lavish pleasure is nigh.
My dreams benighted,
Crumbling before my eyes,
I sorely regret frittering away
Those calm prosperous days
Of youth, wealth and peace
On plunder and wicked deeds,
Wrathful violence and conspiracies,
On fraud, libel and charlatanry,
And slender courtesans who steal
Lascivious glances and feelings.
Now I stand before the abyss,
Old, withered and ready to slip
From my blissful mortal coil,
And into the infernal boiling oil.
Alas! I now rue my failure to do
Even a single upright deed!”
Poem released into Public Domain
First published on my blog (with image):
https://purelandsutras.wordpress.com/2016/10/17/memento-mori-twilight-in-paradise/
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
My dream, my undying yearning,
Is to dwell in a dream-world of my own,
In a misty city amid teal lakes and white peaks,
Filled with clear waters, lush groves and majestic pines,
With marvelous minimalist halls of mid-century design.
I seek to read in lofty libraries and muse in art galleries,
To be adrift in abstract beauty and a Baroque adagio,
To lounge in cafes filled with creative reverie, and
Elegant silent patrons lost in their daydreams.
I yearn to spend each sublime evening admiring starry skies
From under a domed skylight, to enjoy creamy coffee upon a
Lakeside veranda, amid dew drops and cool blissful breezes,
Gazing at the sun as it slowly rises beyond the skyline.
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
The August Sage recounts,
For the 17 past lives I have been a Scholar Official, I was neither imperious nor inhumane. I saved the distressed, aided the desperate, succored the orphaned and borne insolence with patience. I labored at all times to forward the public good without regard for personal acclaim. Those who can conduct themselves as I have will be bestowed fortune by Heaven. Thus, I hereby leave these teachings for the benefit of posterity:
The dignity of a triumphant arch belongs to those who prevent miscarriages of justice; blessings as dense as a grand old oak are the fruit of charity. Mercy towards ants yield high honors, and he who tears away fear from the hearts of men shall rise to high office.
For boundless merit springs from the heart fertile with virtue!
Strive always for the ease of others, and be selflessly virtuous. Benefit all and raise good deed after good deed. Assume Heaven’s Mandate of promoting piety and prosperity; be loyal and filial, reverent and sincere. Whether Buddhist or Taoist, all faiths are united by virtue. So repay the kindness of family, nation, religion and community, promote interfaith harmony, and save those in need or danger with lighting speed. Help orphans and widows ; cherish the elderly and pity the poor. Be frugal so you may always give, provide pauper’s graves, be generous with your poorer friends and kin, be honest in business, and kind to subordinates. Build temples, provide medicine and water, purchase and liberate animals slated for slaughter. Moreover, hold the eight precepts and be vegan. Tread not on insects and refrain from hunting and arson ; do not trap birds or poison marine life. Light lamps to illume the way and provide ferries so all may cross. Do not slaughter cattle nor discard sacred texts ; covet not the wealth of others nor envy their talents. Abstain from seducing the wives and daughters of others, be not litigious, and besmirch no one. Cause no marital strife and break not fraternal and parental bonds. Do not wield wealth and power against the weak and poor ; stay away from evil to avoid being caught in their calamities, and befriend men of virtue. Be not hypocritical and clear the paths of vines and rubble. Build roads and bridges ; help others succeed and be tactful. Observe the Sages, embrace virtue and eschew vice! Do so and you shall receive divine protection, and reap prosperity for yourself and your posterity. Boundless blessings rain down upon the selflessly virtuous!
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2017
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Brian Chung Poem
My dream shines brightly with ambitious gleam,
And in my heart, its vivid brilliance rivals even sunbeam.
I dream to be among the ranks of landowners,
To have thousands of acres and a hanseatic house,
Adorned with colorful feathered grouse,
And lush gardens fit for soirees and dinners,
Gazebos hosting bands and crooners,
And a view of a river as fair as the Great Ouse.
By day I shall paint,
And write prose and poetry
Lauding flora and fauna.
By night I shall play
Baroque tunes on a lute
Or Bach on a harpsichord.
All rights released into Public Domain
Sept. 26 2016
Three style II poetry contest
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
He grew his own food,
And sewed his own clothes,
He owed no one,
But shared with everyone.
He rejected larceny,
Refrained from intrigue,
Spurned lust, lies and malice,
Spoke only kindness
And practiced but prudence.
He was a modest man… are we?
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
Let us drink to this
Ancient windswept stone, the pearl
Of Atlantic sea
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
Shimmering sea, glimmering waves
Glistening waters, mirroring moon-glow
Beyond the beaches, coral lagoons
Mellow boroughs, dotting the shore
Rising sun, peaking through the sky
Day has arrived, ousting dark night
Merchant adventurers, sail forth to venture
The deep blue hue, revealed to the crew
Vast is its reach, and cool the salty breeze
Violent are its storms, and mighty its depths
Haunted by sirens, whose tunes take wing
Amid broken dreams, and forlorn hope
Morbid castaways, adrift or ashore
Gaze upon the horizon, dazed and confused
Perhaps they seek, an island of nymphs,
Just like Odysseus, or so they think
This is the sea, daunting and promising
Poseidon’s wonders, for all to see!
All rights released into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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Brian Chung Poem
Centuries old trees are common
But centenarians on
The street are a rare sight indeed,
As rare as it could be.
For hours slip and days melt away,
And as youthful spring fades,
Silver strands race to O’ertake.
Faces once gleaming with dreams
Become creased and weary,
So cherish each fleeting moment
To do good and repent!
Swap the temporal for the true,
For an Eden of your own!
Poem Released Into Public Domain
Copyright © Brian Chung | Year Posted 2016
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