This piece is pure fantasy. I only know that this was my perception and the perception of many other people round the world.
THE VOICE
She will visit her psychiatrist
In 2018.
'So what is depressing you, my dear?
The psychatrist will say.
And the young girl will answer
'It was like this..........
As a child I had a beautiful singing voice.
It was so lovely that I was asked
To sing a special song
At the Chinese Olympics.
My parents were excited.
The whole village was excited.
And I was the most excited of all.
I was given a pretty red dress to wear.
The local newspaper ran a story about me.
A big picture of me was on the front page.
I was called The Little Local Heroine.
It was all so lovely that I jumped on the bed.
They sent me a tape and a recorder to play it on.
I learnt every word of the song.
The tune was so pretty.
A special singing teacher
Came all the way from Beijing
To help me get everything right.
My parents were so pleased with me.
They even forgave me for not being a boy.
They were told they would get a special pension.
I didn't know what a pension was
But they were pleased.
Then, one day, a cross-looking man came to our house.
He wore a uniform.
'That child is not cute' he said.
He sounded very angry.
He made me open my mouth very wide.
He made a bad face when he looked at my teeth.
'And she has a flat face' he said.
'To represent the perfections of China
The child singer must be perfect.
This child is not perfect.
She is a failure.'
They took away my red dress
And my shiny shoes.
They took away my words and my music
And they took away my voice, on a tape.
The other children in the village laughed.
'Who did you think you were, anyway!' they said.
The older villagers smiled
Behind their hands at my parents.
'Your'e no better than us now' they said.
My picture was on the front page
Of the newspaper again.
The big letters said
'Local Girl Too Ugly For the Olympics.'
I looked at the picture and realised that I was ugly.
My teeth were crooked,
My face was flat.
THE VOICE
She will visit her psychiatrist
In 2018.
'So what is depressing you, my dear?
The psychatrist will say.
And the young girl will answer
'It was like this..........
As a child I had a beautiful singing voice.
It was so lovely that I was asked
To sing a special song
At the Chinese Olympics.
My parents were excited.
The whole village was excited.
And I was the most excited of all.
I was given a pretty red dress to wear.
The local newspaper ran a story about me.
A big picture of me was on the front page.
I was called The Little Local Heroine.
It was all so lovely that I jumped on the bed.
They sent me a tape and a recorder to play it on.
I learnt every word of the song.
The tune was so pretty.
A special singing teacher
Came all the way from Beijing
To help me get everything right.
My parents were so pleased with me.
They even forgave me for not being a boy.
They were told they would get a special pension.
I didn't know what a pension was
But they were pleased.
Then, one day, a cross-looking man came to our house.
He wore a uniform.
'That child is not cute' he said.
He sounded very angry.
He made me open my mouth very wide.
He made a bad face when he looked at my teeth.
'And she has a flat face' he said.
'To represent the perfections of China
The child singer must be perfect.
This child is not perfect.
She is a failure.'
They took away my red dress
And my shiny shoes.
They took away my words and my music
And they took away my voice, on a tape.
The other children in the village laughed.
'Who did you think you were, anyway!' they said.
The older villagers smiled
Behind their hands at my parents.
'Your'e no better than us now' they said.
My picture was on the front page
Of the newspaper again.
The big letters said
'Local Girl Too Ugly For the Olympics.'
I looked at the picture and realised that I was ugly.
My teeth were crooked,
My face was flat.
I had never noticed it before.
All I had was a voice
And they had stolen that.
Now you know why I am depressed.
All my life people have pointed at me and said
'There's that girl who was
Too ugly for the Olympics!''
And the psychiatrist will say.
'I can do nothing for you.
Your hurt goes too deep for treatment'
She will leave.
And where will she go?
All I had was a voice
And they had stolen that.
Now you know why I am depressed.
All my life people have pointed at me and said
'There's that girl who was
Too ugly for the Olympics!''
And the psychiatrist will say.
'I can do nothing for you.
Your hurt goes too deep for treatment'
She will leave.
And where will she go?
