Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Poetry 2018 | Page 79

Success Favours the Bold
St.Paul's Co-educational School, Chan, Ngo Ka Olga - 13
An adventurous journey to the West;
Four characters proven to be the best:
In search of the precious scriptures
locked up in India as treasures.
The four partners travelled for years,
fought through battles resulting in tears.
Notwithstanding all the challenges they faced,
they finally found the scrolls and aced.
That is the plot of a famous novel
loved by all because it is comical.
Let’s blast off a similar journey in 2003,
unfortunately SARS broke out in Hong Kong, making everyone flee.
Xuanzang, determined to obtain the medicine to cure
embarked for India again with his enchanted friends.
There being traps after traps to lure
the gang’s success or failure, perseverance depends.
Accompanying the monk were the trio:
the friar, the pig and the monkey.
Off they went high-spirited with a barrow
undertaking the mission to save their country.
They flew for hours on planes,
on board various buses and trains.
Finally, arriving in India, feeling dazed,
‘Which way should we go?’ they gazed.
Gathering their wisdom, they reached Nalanda Temple,
where the monkey believed the pills were there.
Spotting a chest on top with a mantle
they met some monsters – what a scare!!!
Xuanzang trembled with fright
While the trio got ready to fight.
Together they came up with lots of tricks
and, at last, winning the battle with everything fixed.
‘One, two, three!’ The gang counted triumphantly
as they opened the chest carefully.
Oops, there was yet another box inside
which remained tightly shut no matter how hard they tried.
They were all getting antsy:
The monkey was cranky,
the pig pleading for a rest
while the friar was fed up and stressed.
The pig did nothing but rest ….
when he incidentally spotted a key for the chest!!!