The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century bc; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built 220–206 BC by Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of China. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall is from the Ming Dynasty.
When China opened its borders to foreign merchants and visitors after its defeat in the First and Second Opium Wars, the Great Wall became a main attraction for tourists. The travelogues of the later 19th century further enhanced the reputation and the mythology of the Great Wall, such that in the 20th century, a persistent misconception exists about the Great Wall of China being visible from the Moon or even Mars.
But it is visible in many images and depictions. Think of being “walled” in, going over the wall, walking on top of the wall, anything that the Great Wall of China inspires should be written and shared.
Lost in an Old Silence
quiet settles
along the wall.
falls like moonlight
white as frost.
lost in footfall,
ancient wall.
quiet, silence,
to bind your breach.
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Wow…Misk, I picked up on that “quiet” as well…I enjoyed your take on this!
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Thanks, Hannah! 😀
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this has an ancient peaceful feeling
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I like that. Sounds nice. 😀
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[…] by Phoenix Rising Day 18: Great Wall of China. image is from Flickr Common Collection, British Archive. No copyright or restriction […]
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[…] PHOENIX RISING JULY P.A.D. TRAVELOG – DESTINATION: POETRY (GREAT WALL OF CHINA) […]
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Great Wall of China
Stone, brick, wood and earth
strong beast of border – Great Wall
crawls quiet east-to-west.
Copyright © Hannah Gosselin 2015
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Like a dragon!
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FEEL FREE
Marcel Marceau never saw walls,
he feigned containment. Hands
reaching, feeling, searching.
A panicked face comes to
a screeching halt. To vault over
the wall would call for faith
that it’s there. Dare to be free.
See past your self-imposed cell.
You’ll do well to feel free,
and not feel walls!
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Ah, sage advice.
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July 18 – The Great Wall
My bro walked on it
Copperfield walked right through it
I’ve never seen it
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maybe some day!
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Stone Mason
I built a wall around you to
keep you safe to
protect you
from imagined dangers
I built it longer –
others could look but
not touch your beauty or
feel your tenderness
could not hear the song in
your soul or taste the
lusciousness of you
I built it higher –
you withered
you grew suspicious
and held your secrets close
I built a wall around you and
you seeped out through
fissures cleft by time
until my wall crumbled
and you began to thrive
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There’s a lovely story in this. We’ll written.
Benjamin
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Thank you very much!
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FORTIFIED VANITIES
Why do we build
Walls
Great and fortified
Proceeding
To satisfy
Our need
Of self-boundary
Extending
East to west
Built to last
Any test
Withstand
Any desiring army
Until their final
Breath
When
Invasion
Is inevitable?
Benjamin Thomas
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Building a Wall
She started with a few pebbles,
not enough protection. Over years
she collected stones, rocks, bricks,
until she had sufficient materials
for building her wall. Nothing
could touch her now. Her armor
was complete. She could not envision
that she would meet someone
determined to chip away
no matter how long it took.
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Walls
Keeping people in
Keeping people out
Imposing, strong
Longing for a time
When there’s no need for
walls.
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