CHRISTOPHER – Parc

Many moons millennia past

lessons were spoken long to last

wisemen scholars women and men

reciting the words again and again

drawn to begin over centuries changed

image to image line gradually fade

pictures into outlines lines into words

seen and read then they’re heard

down through generations kin after kin

elders to youngsters mothers and friends

letter by letter words never end

book or tomb scrolls or scripts

paper parchments say what is which

towns and villages not far apart

language the same speech a contrast

often a challenge to know what people say

to sell to buy to trade or pay

crossing the barrier of written word

describing feelings cart and bird

the written dialect remains almost still

enabling neighbours to exchange for meals

pricing the likes of horse wagon or cart

students pupils clerks monk or nun

for general knowledge recording or fun

ages go by communication goes wide

from one point of earth round the other side

wars begin eventually end

sovereigns change time and again

borders shift populations spread

remembered by reading what ancients said

translated into modern day texts

gradually working out the word that’s next

four thousand years or more

miles were travelled to many a new shore

taking with them words wisdom ways

leather bound pages written by hand over many days

using brush feather quill pencil pen

eastern schooling taught to western men

try to understand the best that they can

until the 50’s calendar of Christian men

once pictures now made by strokes

converted to Hanyu Pinyin then Latin words spoke

the Chinese language joint sounds made

tonal marks sometimes well frequently bad

spanning oceans societies countries wide

business trading families expanding knowledge like a tide

from image outlines characters Pinyin English too

expanding outwards the whole world through

decades pass and life goes on

a family man with whole life gone

at the end of one life’s stage

I look uneasily onward and turn a page

spending what little money I earn

I buy the CDs and books to learn

reading writing and try to speak

a new language I decide is good to know

using my time to improve the way my life is to go

I began by writing in English to start

and also tried learning what’s near to my heart

as I combine creative words and Mandarin

the darkness of my future starts to finally thin

when I am offered a fully structured course

I realize the chance being given and accept

With backing now supporting my success chance leapt

the odds of getting somewhere in life

although the road ahead is hared slowly darkness is bright

without support learning with only items I have brought

would have been a bigger challenge without being taught

this raised slight doubt if my determination would last

now supplied with resources books and CDs

the mighty apple of learning seems a bit smaller to me

I took a bite though tiny against what is to learn

writing speaking reading so large is my desire to learn

the more I can learn while I am in prison

better I feel about being here and my life’s reason

purpose for living and make my family proud

making up for the troubles prison has shouted loud

showing them no matter what I won’t be kept down

I can better myself even in prison learning is sound

sound idea gaining knowledge improving my mind

so little control over what the future holds any time

preparing myself as best I can do

using the education in prison to help me get through

by the time my sentence is over I am released

I am to have become a man to make my kin pleased

able to speak and write translate and read

one of the hardest languages indeed

with the help of the education available to me

learning in prison may turn out the best use of my time there can be

but only in time will I truly see