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Sunshine
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since 1999-06-25
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Listening to every heart

0 posted 2004-04-29 11:03 PM



Thin Ribbons ~ Secret Times

Centuries
Have covered up
Our past.
No one knew,
Until recently
That a silent language
Existed fast
In cryptic writing’s
Mystery.

Our men said,
In their way,
“No word from you,
No reading, no say…
Nothing will ever
Give you the right
To read, or write
Into the night”

Such as it was,
Still, our souls
Gathered dreams,
And wove our goals
Characters of
Chinese worth
Gained a slant,
Became our earth.

Nu Shu was
Our story’s soul,
Our poet’s dream,
Which kept us
Whole.

Traditional writing
Followed, it is true
But with a slant
Hardly left a clue…
We talked of times
Hardships, want,
Marriages arranged,
And controlling taunts.

No one knew for
The longest time
Almost, almost,
We spoke in mime;
We spoke in forever
With a twist of twine
Secret scripts of
Secret times.

Altered scripts and
Altered weave
Gave us gifts
We would not leave;
Now they build
A memory
In honor of women
And memories weave.

~*~

In a summation of some National Geographic Selections, I read today a very small article of the women of Jiangyong, China who, forbidden to learn to read or write, came up with a way to pass on their songs, their poetry and stories, in their own form, and created “Nu Shu”.  They slanted "traditional writing", giving it a wispy, artistic look.  Their men, for the longest time, never discovered how their own words, and actions, were used to describe how their lives would be recorded in time.  

How fortunate we are.



[This message has been edited by Sunshine (04-30-2004 10:12 AM).]

© Copyright 2004 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved
muted
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since 2004-01-15
Posts 2949
Elapsing, Eclipsing, Evolving
1 posted 2004-04-29 11:51 PM


not only is this a great write, but i just learned something new! lovely
Janet Marie
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since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554

2 posted 2004-04-30 07:35 AM


*smiling at you*
as I was reading this the thought came of how anyone could keep YOU from writing...it would take more than a whole country of forbidden rules--lol--cant stop the Sun.  

love the title of this too.

The ink bleeds through cuz you're paper thin
you're one more fool with a paper and pen
lookin for a poem in the water stains on the floor.

R.B.

LeeJ
Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296

3 posted 2004-04-30 07:38 AM


Hi Sunshine, and good morning...excellent tribute...read and while reading, the beginning reminded me strongly of the Di Vinci Code.  Thank you for this intellectual walk through another culture

Have a wonderful day and weekend

PKreturns
Member
since 2003-07-21
Posts 362
New Orleans, LA
4 posted 2004-04-30 08:30 AM


Cool....and a history lesson to boot.
Aenimal
Member Rara Avis
since 2002-11-18
Posts 7350
the ass-end of space
5 posted 2004-04-30 08:49 AM


An excellent homage to the women of Jiangyong and a reminder to never take for granted, rights accorded in the 'freeworld'
Enchantress
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since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113
Canada eh.
6 posted 2004-04-30 09:36 AM


Excellent...excellent..excellent.
And thank your for the explanation.
Hugs


~I love you - those three words have my life in them.~

Gentle Spirit
Member Patricius
since 2000-10-09
Posts 13989

7 posted 2004-04-30 09:51 AM


perfect mum!  If we couldn't write, we would go insane yes???
Tiersdin
Member Elite
since 2000-11-17
Posts 2364
east coast
8 posted 2004-04-30 11:23 AM


Sunshine, thank you for this!

*hugs*

~Tier

passing shadows
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since 1999-08-26
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displaced
9 posted 2004-04-30 11:32 AM


how fortunate we are indeed

thought-provoking write

Corinne
Member Ascendant
since 1999-10-28
Posts 5167
state of confusion
10 posted 2004-04-30 01:20 PM


This is wonderful, Sunshine, a gift to open our eyes to the past.

Thank you for this,


Corinne

kayjay
Member Elite
since 2002-06-24
Posts 2015
Oregon
11 posted 2004-04-30 02:59 PM


Nothing is quite as exciting as discovering that genius existed long ago and now we've brought it into today's knowledge.  Nicely done.  KJ

Through rubble and trouble and dark of night
The yawn of a dawn will hasten the light

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