Dear
Michael Daniel Li,
Welcome
to Michael Daniel's World
Henry
(not the angel) just announced your coming
While
I was busily preparing my project reports
Which
is more important
To
dutifully write the baby-bash poem
Or
to continue with my report
This
is the question
I
am talking about priority in life here
I
must not let go the impulse for quick wit
Starving
my stomach for a while
Besides
I owe your daddy this poem
Ever
since he requested months ago
In
a Xiangyin group baby shower
I
like Michael Daniel
They
were even connected one time
When
and where
You
ask
Michael
is an old and popular name
The
first Michael mentioned in Bible
Was
the father of one of the twelve explorers
From
the Tribe of Asher
There
were many Michaels afterward
But
the famous one is Michael the Archangel
Who
fought and conquered
The
evil spirits over the Persian Kingdom
After
an eye-opening three weeks blockade
Clearing
the way for another messenger
To
brief Daniel the Prophet
My
first words of wisdom
Be
as tenacious
And
courageous
And
righteous
And
helpful
As
Michael the Archangel
Daniel
the prophet was someone special
Definitely
for you and all to emulate
Even
as a handsome lad
He
abstained from impurity
And
set him apart for the Lord
The
Lord honored him and his three buddies
Daniel
was also a superb dream teller
He
even disclosed the dream the King forgot
The
other night my wife overheard my utterance
While
I was deep in a sleep
She
did not tell me precisely
What
on earth I was revealing
Subconsciously
in my dream
I
surely hope it was words of wisdom
Daniel
was a true worshipper of true God
Uncompromising
and unapologetic
Unyielding
to pressure and death threat
Even
in a horrifying lion's den
The
Lord closed the mouth of the lion
From
inflicting any harm to Daniel
You
will need lots of Daniel's faith
To
walk uprightly in this sin-abounding world
Daniel
was a prophet of divine message
Even
when the message was dreadful to hear
He
envisioned the end time
Of
great knowledge
And
of great mobility
Welcome
to a world and age
That
your predecessor had predicted
Over
2500 years before your birth
Daniel
prophesied the mysterious Seventy Seven
And
the critical divide before the last Seven
From
the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem
To
the coming and cutoff of the Anointed One
There
shall be 69 times 7 prophetic years
Guess
what
This
has been fulfilled in history
In
a mighty and fearful way
To
our amazement of divinity
Despite
many people's ignorance of it
Only
to their own peril
My
second words of wisdom
Be
a bold messenger of divine will
Of
the salvation accomplished
Of
the final judgment to come
Michael
Daniel
Live
up to your namesakes
Michael
the Archangel
Daniel
the Prophet
In
your days
To
your generation
Would
you?
Yes!
Yes!
Great!
(Composed
on Aug.31, 2001)