A Visit To The Xi' An Exhibition Poem by Diana M. P. Chang

The countless horses, warriors, and guards
Of earthenwares in life sizes,
Standing erectly side by side,
To guard the king's kingdom after life.

The poor recruits, the young farmers
Endured the long hours of hunger,
Tortured with the rigorous cold and severe winds,
Suffered bitterly to satisfy the king's underground reign.

They labored days and nights, months made into years,
No news were from homes, no words reached their ears.
Wives expected husbands, children longed for fathers,
No signs of return, no hope of union together.

Years gone by, the kingdom underground was built,
No exits could be used,
They were buried alive,
To serve the king after life.

The secret was unknown to the world for thousand years,
It was a true myth.
How many broken hearts and oceanic drops of tears,
Have made the Empire's pompous historical sheets?!