Zhonguo Poem by Da Ge

Canzone for China: A Land of Welcome

I came to China with a heart unsure,
Fears of skies heavy with poisoned air,
Yet found a land where warmth and smiles endure,
A place where strangers would deeply care.
They handed me babies, their joy so pure,
A photo, a laugh, a bond to share.

'Da Ge, ' they called me, their Big Brother,
A foreign face, yet treated no other.
On Yantai's streets, I found my home,
Where friendship's roots began to roam.
Good people, their hearts open wide,
In laughter and trust, I felt pride.

Expats I worked with held little charm,
But the locals brought life, a healing balm.
Through lanes alive with old-town grace,
I wandered, welcomed, in each space.
Huangshan's peaks and Hongcun's streets,
Where history and heartache gently meet.

Shanghai sang with a city's soul,
Its neon lights, a hymn to the whole.
The hum of life, the pulse of cheer,
A magic that drew me ever near.
Xiamen's warmth, though fleeting, stayed,
Its beaches kissed by sun and jade.

In Guangdong's fields, landscapes unfurled,
Fruits of the earth, gifts of the world.
Shandong's soil, where kindness grew,
A family of friends, steadfast and true.
Their hands refused to let me pay,
A love unspoken in its way.

Ignore the tales that governments weave,
The media's myths that deceive.
For China is more than words can show,
Its beauty lies in hearts that glow.
A tapestry rich, of land and kin,
A journey that calls me back again.

I dream to return with my wife by my side,
To walk those roads where joy resides.
To feel the warmth, to taste the air,
To share in the love that lingers there.
Oh, China, your spirit stays with me,
A beacon of friendship across the sea.