Next China (found prompt)

[TranquillityBase]

Next China (found prompt)


A headline captured my screen:

Secret Weapon
  to Avoid
the Next China

it read.  And I thought,

what is, what will be
the next China?  Is
there anything left
so large, so packed with promise
(failed, it seems)
and like any opportunity so vast,
so dangerous
and so bizarrely comic, all at once?

I mean, a grumpy Pooh
but with teeth
and mortally unamused by the resemblance
which, however
simply cannot be denied.

But next even after that... where?
Africa?  South America?
CANADA, for Heaven’s sake,
if things really heat up
as threatened?

Canada and Siberia, the new
world heartland?  And on top
of all that far-fetched speculation
a weapon against
to avoid what can’t even be
a known unknown as yet
but as with China
there's always the option
of laughing at
its ultimate absurdity.

Then the screen scrolled up to say

Secret Weapon
  to Avoid
the Next China
    Virus

and all was clear
above the fold.  Yes,
this time remember
to laugh it
right off the stage.

Hey Duke,

Keep coming back to this one.  I like experiments.

I think it would be better without the last part, starting with "The secreen rolled up to say".  It's your thoughts that are interesting here.

TqB