Visit the Old Summer Palace in Midsummer

This past summer during my trip back to China I visited the Old Summer Palace (Yuan Ming Yuan). It's the first time I went back to see this park since I left Beijing for America many years ago, despite it was on my bucket list of landmarks to revisit and I traveled back to China a few times. It wasn't until the Labor Day weekend I had the time and urge to write poems on this visit.

 

Visit the Old Summer Palace in Midsummer

 

The Old Summer Palace had been magnificent,

but no more, all lost in the war.

Broken stones are the only remnants.

They disturb the minds of visitors.

The rest is history, humiliating and painful.

 

The lakes are blanketed by green lotus leaves,

like unrolled Chinese paintings.

The painted boats are sailing away

in the picture-like scenery.

Their destination is the other shore

where hopefully there is no looting and destruction.

 

Lotus flowers are in full bloom.

So many red and pink flames

that have been burning for 164 years,

above the water and in many hearts.

They were seeded from the fires

that burned down the old gardens and palaces.

They won't extinguish until those broken stones become ashes.

 

【七律】仲夏游圆明园是时荷花正盛（三首）

 

其一

 

旧时盛景化云烟，今夏风光似往年。

荷叶田田葱可卷，石头处处碎难连。

荣枯粉白花成梦，胜败欢悲史入篇。

岂待心明圆月后，何知意乱塌楼前。

 

其二

 

大水法中奔泪多，西洋楼里恨干戈。

江河倒转水垂柳，冠盖翻飞风卷荷。

一孔石桥连彼岸，满池菡萏出汪波。

故人画舫画中去，却唱悲时一曲歌。

 

其三

 

怎忘后院起狼烟，烧到心中数百年。

水上红花楼上火，当时赤焰此时莲。

雕栏玉砌存惊梦，断壁残垣入恨篇。

负重前行魂未定，光阴变幻国门前。

 

(© September, 2024, godog)

 

下面的照片由作者在七月一号摄于圆明园。