(Poem 348 for 2024 – I am writing a poem a day)

The lives of the oppressed
are sacrificed to satisfy
the frivolous whims
of the powerful
with the luster
of blood pearls
and mermaid’s tears.

The battle of the depths
is a fight to the death
for those forced to toil
beneath the surface
deprived of oxygen,
freedom, choice, love—
purely to appease
the purses of nobles
and the vanity of every
beautiful lady in the
Tang Dynasty.

@Home Studio – 348th poem of the year (Based on The Story of Pearl Girl.)

Xie Ze, The Story of Pearl Girl. lusi Zhao, Yuning Liu, Tang Xiao Tian, Laoyouo Film and Television and Galaxy Cool Entertainment Media, 2024.

Runner ups for the Pearl Diver photos to accompany my poem: