The old town of Guangzhou
Falls
In stark contrast,
With its downtown.
The effect of the years
Clear to the eye
Like Son and Grandson
In the downtown,
There are
vibrant lights
From the skyline
That scatter
As it reflects off
Of the ripples
In the Pearl River But not the old town
You take the metro
And probe your way
Through
Like a mouse
In a maze
To reach
Your destination,
But not the old town.
There are
restaurants
situated on rooftops.
With chairs woven
Out of bamboo
Around wooden tables,
Lit by
Flickering candles, and
Fairy lights on drapes
That hang
From its canopy.
But not the old town.
In the old town,
There are old men
In white vests
Playing mahjong
Around raw stone tables.
There are
stores,
With white marble walls
And signs written
In unsimplified characters
Try, the spicy
ginger juice which
Crashes into
Creamy milk, this
Concoction
Leaves you
Craving
For more
There are
Tea houses
With hip-and-gable rooftops
That served people
From the last
Imperial dynasty.
Here, the sweet
And smooth
Keemun Black Tea
Leaves a malty aftertaste
And tells a tale
Of the city’s past
Do come to Guangzhou. It is a place,
That beckons
The whole world
To come over.