The Monster

The monster in the village,
disguised as a benevolent village head,
disbursing funds,
using money power as tool for control.

Bow and meekly agree,
when the monster asks ever gently.
When it holds a party,
everyone must submit and do as bidded,
whether willing or not.
Everyone is supposed to fall at the feet
of the monster, grateful to be thought of.
All must have whole of village mindset.
Or be an outcast.

Strong leaders we need
to avoid being pulled into the spiral of groupthink,
and be strong enough to say "NO".

Or it'd just be "Yes, Monster" all the time,
even when one's heart says "NO".

The Blacksmith

The blacksmith who shoes the horses,
the horses that go to battle and war.

The blacksmith, ever cheery,
with empty-headed smiles.
He hammers away, as he shoes,
singing the latest pop songs.

An important mission comes up.
The General orders the army of horses be ready.

The blacksmith shoes the horses,
one after another,
singing in his usual empty-headed way.

As the last horse is shoed,
the army almost ready to set off,
the last horseshoe is left.
But it can't be put on,
because there aren't enough nails!

And so the mission failed.
For lack of a horse,
for lack of a horseshoe,
for lack of a nail.
Which the blacksmith didn't anticipate and prepare.

Simple things, so simple, yet so difficult.
Brains, in everyone, yet not in everyone.
Such a pain, working with such blacksmiths.

The cycle of challenges

The pager vibrated incessantly ...
... back then in 2001.
And throughout the year after.
Intense 24/7 work as plots were uncovered
and culprits detained.
Calls from all, local and foreign,
each more urgent than the last.
Memories of an alert on a CNY holiday,
a news release on the same day.
From one high point to another ...
each threshold higher than the last.
Then off to another challenging area to build. ... and another.

A comment from outside about end of an era.
Another (from outside) about being the go-to person ...
Unexpected kind comments.

Now 2015, another major revelation,
thanks to the hard work of strong teams
that have remained steadfast and mostly withstood the test of time.
Deja vu.

An occasional urge to poke one's nose in ...
but it's a different time, a different team
with different preferences and approaches.

One cycle of challenges one has ridden.
Time to leave others to ride theirs.

The True Master

Tis a session when the Master held court,
without arrogantly doing so.
Presentation after presentation,
he listened intently and patiently, in a good natured way.
At the end of each,
he spoke.
Pearls of wisdom, oh so strategic,
in the true meaning of the word.
No grandstanding, no condescending direction.
Good advice and direction, visionary and practical.
Such had been missing all these years,
over at our team.
Care at the latter over the structure called "framework".
The team's changed since then of course, with global vision and all.

The true masters, soon they would phase out.
A loss to those who had been inspired by them,
a loss to the generations who didn't get to work for them.