Terra Cotta Warrior Poem by David Lewis Paget

You stand with all your comrades in the van,
Unflinching, you survey the sweep of time,
Your eyes are sharp and stare, the man ahead
Does likewise, and your forehead wears a frown.

In darkness you were cast, you now appear
So sudden in the light, the dawn's grey wash,
The light is harsh and bright this time of year
And soon your colours fade, then turn to ash.

Then what alarm is this that breaks the spell
That Emperor Qin Shi Huang had caused to lie
Unbroken on your shoulders since he fell
And sought his bliss in heaven, on Mount Li.

What terrors brought his army to the light
Revealed the might of Qin to modern man,
The archers with their bows, when arrows sang,
The chariots and the horses in full flight.

While you, with weapon raised, prepare to march
Your armour, dirt ingrained two thousand years,
Is ready for the clash, the battle din,
The slash of sword, the whine, the thrust of spears.

But who are these, the strangers who now stare
Forever in their awe at your design?
A face familiar here, another there,
May just be from your son or daughter's line.

Be proud, Doushi, you come at last to stand
Revealed, to prove the potter's ancient craft,
While time stands still for all who see you there
To wonder at the world, where once, he laughed.

2 February 2006 - Xi'an