China's Son
China's son, forever in my heart,
With love and trust you came.
China's son, forever in my heart,
I wish I knew your name
You stood before the tanks that day
So calm, so brave, so young.
You stood before the tanks that day,
With a long life yet to come.
Are you still alive today?
I pray it's so, I do!
Are you still so filled with hope?
Oh, how I pray that's true.
One moment, you stood on that spot.
The killing it still came.
Forever you are in our hearts...
The world is not the same!
Your message was, "one person counts."
Peace begins that way.
Your message was, "one person counts."
Let's each begin today.
-Barbara Jack- 1989
China's Son Backstory
In, June of 1989 the TV cameras of the world were focused on a group of young people in China. A hunger strike was underway and Tiananmen Square was crowded with students. They called out for more freedom and they wanted it soon.
When I looked at the faces of this vocal group of youthful protesters, I did not see fear. It is my belief that they did not expect to be cut down by government troops. They truly believed the time had come for rapid change.
Cameras were rolling and around the world, people were watching. Then the mood changed and the government troops started to be more visible. As we watched our television screens around the world, we saw the tanks roll into the square. Suddenly from out of the crowd stepped a young man. He walked calmly into the path of the first tank. My heart stood still ..... and so did the tank .... and then the next tank .... and then the next tank. I knew just as we all did that what we were watching was an image we would not soon forget. This powerful image is a permanent reminder of the power of the individual.
Barbara Jack reads China's Son Poem
In Europe today, people will tell you .... "The collapse of the Berlin wall started in Tiananmen Square." Others will tell you the ..."Chinese students played a vital role in building momentum for the end of the cold war." When I sat down to write about the young man before the tanks, I didn't know his name so I called him CHINA'S SON. The poem that resulted has also moved around the world. This poem has traveled further than any poem that I have written by appearing in publications and organization's newsletters all around the world. It even took me to New York city where I received a trophy and had this poem published in Distinguished Poets in America.
There is another side story to this poem. My emotions are close to the surface and usually when I write poetry ... it comes with tears. The night that I decided I wanted to have the young man and the tanks be the center piece for my annual message, I listened to soft music and meditated on that picture of him in my head. It was like a snapshot folded up to carry always. Then, I did some Tai Chi for 30 minutes or so and began to write. The words seemed to swish through my brain and onto the page. In ten minutes, the words were on the page and my eyes were dry. I think of this poem as one that came through me .... not from me!
Watch a more in depth video here: Barbara Jack discusses China's Son poem