The poem text is below.

This sonnet refers to ancient Taoist poets who fled their corrupt empire. I highly recommend David Hinton’s excellent book Mountain Home: The Wilderness Poetry of Ancient China. You can find a link for it below the poem text.

The ancient Taoist poets did take flight
from empire’s deadly storms to mountain’s peace.
That does not mean that they gave up the fight.
In truth, it made their influence increase
both there and then and through all realms and ages
until today when evil has returned
and persecutes descendants of those sages
who still pursue the world for which they yearned,
the all-inclusive love of Christ and Tao.
Resistance rises in its timeless forms,
and each of us who love are asking how
we best can fight such fierce, enormous storms—
some on the barricades, some underground,
and some where peace and power of Tao are found.

3/5/25

You can find David Hinton’s book Mountain Home: The Wilderness Poetry of Ancient China at your local bookstore or at Books a Million (still has a DEI policy!) at https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mountain-Home/David-Hinton/9780811216241?id=9413125460217