CHEERS

Let's cheer the anniversary,
Ancient admiral's fleet at sea.
He sailed six hundred years ago.
He felt the gales, saw waters flow
Beyond the southern horizon,
Left east to reach the fleeing sun.
In fabled lands and those beyond,
He traded goods and forged a bond,
A friend to dwellers far away,
A frequent smile past end of day,
A gift to all from cheerful dawn,
He went where none of his had gone.
The world has turned and times have changed.
And humans grown and further ranged.
Now soars a ship above the ground,
Attains in space and soars around
An all not even he could roam,
A globe that's now a human home.

The allusion is to the great Chinese expeditions under Admiral Zheng He
who led Ming fleets as far as Africa. This year is the six hundredth
anniversary of his first voyage. Louise Levanthe's interesting book
describing this fascinating facet of Chinese history, WHEN CHINA RULED
THE SEAS, is reviewed at:

http://alsandor.net/solarguard/china/chseas.html

Michael McKenny


Solarguard Poetry



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