Heritage, Tradition, Culture

There is much reason to look back in time
with awe at the peak of civilizational, artistic
philosophical, scientific and inventive genius
of a multitudinous people of the ancient past
when the Middle Kingdom presided over
the East as an example of what the human
mind could aspire toward and the aesthetic
appeal of perfection in art when exquisite
scrolls brushed philosophical formulae for a
millennium of outstanding achievements in all
fields of human endeavour. Today we look back
with veneration at the fine creative intelligence
the invaluable lessons, the artifacts of grace and
beauty, and marvel. Archeology had dusted
away the accumulated detritus of time to
reveal peerless porcelains and jades, strategic
military formulae, terracotta armies, a great
wall able to withstand siege, administrative
genius based on merit alone and infinitely
more, revealing that ancient place of history
so at odds with its current iteration where
tradition and heritage are scorned in favour
of a brave new world of government monopoly
with an irresistible drive to mercantile power
and political conquest bypassing the values
of yore exemplified by thriving open markets
to feed the limitless population in varied
metropolises catering to China's vast appetite
to consume all that nature has given life to.