constructing poetry

The Jiuzhaigou Valley

deep in the hills,
where the giant pandas lumber
in robes of shadow and snow,
and water collects
emerald and sapphire,
turquoise and jade,
in the cupped hands
of a goddess
who washes her hair
in the essence of purity,
tourists gather.
they walk the valleys
and take pictures of the still water
mirroring the hills beyond,
the trees crisscrossed
on the bottom, like warriors
felled in some ancient battle.
they walk the valleys
and laugh and eat picnics
and tell stories about the lake monster
and shiver until they
shake off the eeriness of legend,
while beside them,
just beyond sight—
a goddess weeps
as she washes her hair,
and the giant pandas fade
into myth.

line count: 28

Prompt ▼

Prompt for: Feb 3 (Ren)
Subject or Theme: China -something about China - the country: what it is like or some aspect of China. Perhaps about something to see in China.
Word(s) to Include: at least six colors - but not the simple: red, green, blue, yellow, purple, white or black. be creative in your use of colors (ie: 'blue-green' would NOT be acceptable!), essence (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): China, wall, dragon, rice, Mandarin, temple, mountain (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: Use the place as the title of your poem. If the name of the place contains a 'forbidden word, it is OKAY to use it in the title, but nowhere else. Any type of poetry is fine, but the poem MUST be at least 24 lines long.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.

Author's Note ▼

The Jiuzhaigou Valley is actually three valleys shaped like a y that are part of a protected area in China. Each valley has several lakes and waterfalls. There is also a population of Giant Pandas that has been reduced to about 20 individuals. Since August 2017, an earthquake has made the valley unnavigable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiuzhaigou