Dictator Poem by Kong Yin

Laugh if he wants you to laugh.
Cry if he wants you to cry.

With a wave of his sleeve
coloured clouds vanish.

His shadow obscures moonlight.
He compels you to take shame as medicine.

He forces you to break prayer wheels
and embark on the pilgrimage to his temple.

With a dry cough he dismisses what happened
and we bow to avoid witnessing.

With a grin he asserts what did not happen
and we nod in concurrence.

A dense fog accompanies him
in which many are lost never to return
Those who remain
are only empty shells

Eventually wind carries him away
and the caged
are not only afraid to come out
but bend down with affection
to his ghost.