Barbarian Kings of the West

Exotic to the Chinese,
Problematic to this day,
They have never civilized
Themselves enough to be pleased
With their own nonviolence.
Drunk or sober, they're thin-skinned,
Impulsive, prone to hurling

Weapons, death, insults, and things
One only associates
With the long-nosed, bearded mugs
Of western barbarian
Kings. They're suitable symbols
For intemperate appetite,
Futility turning tides.