Little Vase Little Dot

Lao Lee went to Lao Beijing
And met the Little Vase
He was old and ashen 
And smoking very fast

But Lee kept quiet
For he was but a guest
Knowing that a Little Dot 
Will one day put China to the test

"You speak of people owning homes
Of supermarkets full and fresh
Of flushing toilets with hinged doors
And people wanting to be their best!

"This I've got to see
How Communism is not Communism
How one party is not one party
Yet it succeeded without any Maoism!"

So Little Vase flew to Little Dot
And was offered a drink
It had lemon and sugar cane
Indeed on a warm day, truly a splendid thing

"My, my what is this terrific stuff?
Cane we surely have, but isn't it for walking?
Or smacking naughty children's behind 
When they cannot behave or stop talking?"

"Ah," said wise Old Lee, somewhat wise
"Children we have and talk they can
But not anyhow about the Thunder Folk
Or they get sued, no need any re-education camp!"

Little Vase nodded in agreement
Of how that is truly magnificent
Nobody yearns to lose money
That's hard earned and without malfeasance

"Ah, now I see, the fines and laws you have
Is to let the people understand
That what you have earned and built
Shouldn't be destroyed by some silly rant"

"It's a good way to keep loudmouths in check
Without imprisoning nor exiling them
For when the tummy is full
You are contented and not want to play the fool!"

And then Little Vase was offered
A rather rich and spicy dish in laksa
It reminded him of a troublesome place
Faraway in Tibet with a township called Lhasa

"Hmm, they are both quite the same
Making me bothered and sweating at the brow
But it is a colorful and different dish
Can China embrace this and not be selfish?"

"Heheh," smiled wise Old Lee smiling
"That has Peranakan and Indian flavors
"Of Malay and Chinese tastes...
Quite a good symbol of our struggles and labours!"

Just then an epiphany hit Little Vase
He rocked a little, lambasted by indisputable truths
"My, my, isn't this what China needs
A people together giving the dragon back its tooth?"

And so when Little Vase returned home
He threw his little red book aside
For long it has been about one man
Who had starved millions like some genocide

Who was vain and power mad
Destroyed folks in his decade-long cultural rage
When what he should have done
Is engineer a New Economic Age 

To let people work for their just rewards
Dictated not by state nor ideology
For people are best when put to the test
To make beautiful a future for their progeny

"We'll tax them and China will rise
From poverty and backwardness
To a nation of fast workers and makers
Producing hand phones to that Prada dress

And so Little Vase boarded his plane
And took one last look at Little Dot
Sometimes a mole on a face
Can indeed change a person's fate a lot!

The end - by TC Lai