Shān Shŭi

Shān Shŭi

A theme is found in Chinese art
of hills and lakes where painters play
with splendid views to stir the heart
and scenes that show a bygone day.

Often a simple shrine or bridge
betrays the toxic taint of man;
a temple clings to rocky ridge —
the slightest stain on Nature's plan.

In some a single fishing boat,
a subtle hint at rustic life,
on tranquil water stays afloat
far from the city's stress and strife.

But artists cast a rosy glow
on lives that see their share of woe.
.

(14 lines)

"August Winners Announced! Apologies for delay."  



Shān Shŭi is a traditional form in Chinese watercolor paintings where the emphasis is on landscapes incorporating both mountains shān and water shŭi. The same term is used to describe the poetry that typically accompanies such paintings — calligraphy being an important element of Chinese scroll art — and may also be used to describe poetry created independently of any painting where mountain landscape is the central theme.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_shui

If you're interested to see what Shān Shŭi paintings look like:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shan+shui+paintings&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isc...

Shān is pronounced shaan and shŭi shwaay, so in Mandarin the double alliteration and assonance gives the term a poetic beauty. Such paintings typically show the mountain landscape of places like Guilin and often include a small temple on a mountain top or a single fishing boat on a lake or river.