{"id":8450,"date":"2019-06-13T08:35:32","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T12:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/?p=8450"},"modified":"2019-06-18T08:51:26","modified_gmt":"2019-06-18T12:51:26","slug":"ernie-lowe-free-flying-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/ernie-lowe-free-flying-now","title":{"rendered":"Ernie Lowe: Free flying now"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"Down, down,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 down poison oak slopes<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 down to a wooded canyon,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 down to recollect the whole<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0in a ferny grove of redwoods,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 settling at last in a ring of trees<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 where once one giant stood.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Like the students from China last night,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0my eyes are dry,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 reflecting a dry stream bed.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

I went to a ‘show to support Beijing students.’<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 In the lobby banks of tv sets played and replayed<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0scenes of that morning’s massacre —<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0medics carrying bloody youth across fields of flames<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0a jumble of bodies as only death can pose them<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 soldiers tearing down the Goddess of Democracy<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 a lone student standing against a line of armed soldiers.<\/div>\n
The students before the tvs watched and watched,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 eyes dry,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0faces blank with shock.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Down I come to recollect the whole.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I thought I’d learned that hope is folly<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0even as is despair.<\/div>\n
But students in Tiananmen Square set me hoping,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 gave me homeland in their thirst for freedom.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0And now I lean against this redwood<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0trying to remember that clear space<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 between hope and despair.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The show went on last night<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0in a hall hung with banners —<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0stop the killing<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 remember the martyrs.<\/div>\n
I thought art would give way to fiery speeches<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 but no, a chorus sang, then a baritone, a soprano.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Liu Xin said, “Tiananmen Square is bleeding<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 and my heart is bleeding.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I will sing, ‘Under the iron wheel'”<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Liu Qiong-Jun danced<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0the dance<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 of long sleeves<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0cerise sleeves<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 flowing and rippling free,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0filling the air<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0with ancient patterns.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A student rushed to the mike to report a call from home:<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0“It’s even worse than tv says.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 People stick their heads out the window<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 and the soldiers shoot them.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Tanks are crushing students.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 It’s worse than the Japanese.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 Down with the old men<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 who fill the streets of Beijing with Chinese blood.”<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

My head ached — so much rage reserved.<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0My throat ached — so many screams held silent.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then Wu Yu Kiang, holding his bamboo flute, said,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0“All day I have been weeping.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I watch my people being killed.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I don’t see we can have freedom soon.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 So all I can do is play a song<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0that talks about freedom and liberty.”<\/em><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0And he played a lilting song of birds,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0birds calling in the air,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 free flying now,<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0shrill and piercing.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The stream bed below me<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0is an S curve<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0like Liu Qiong-Jun’s long sleeves<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 free in the air above her.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The fresh green of new redwood shoots<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0springs from the tree at my back.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 Owls and towhees call free in the air above<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0and I recollect the whole<\/div>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 here in Tiananmen Grove.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ernie Lowe<\/div>\n
June 4, 1989<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source\uff1ahttp:\/\/indigodev.com\/Poems80s.html<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Down, down, \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 down poison oak slopes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[2079,2080,101],"views":1710,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8450"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8450"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8453,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8450\/revisions\/8453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}