sarcasm

a lonely man
on the first day of the year of gold tiger
contemplates the absence of his wife and daughter

there will be no children kowtowing to him
for red packs once so generously given
when he was rich, authoritative and powerful

he wants pity
there is plenty
when his treasured phony relatives
come to pay the once-a-year visit

why is it that
people conform so much with formalities
that themselves are lost in this process

how ridiculous
(I'm laughing with tears!)
one should value tradition
over the happiness of his family