Susan King

Language of the Heavens

Iaith y nefoedd – not for us it isn't – newly settled this side of Offa's Dyke. Mutating nouns, irregular plurals, dozens of different ways of saying "yes" and "no". English isn't like this. English is straightforward.

Gwawr has heard it all before and wipes the white board clean. We've worked hard. No sgwrs tonight – the dreaded conversation practice where we tie ourselves in knots. We are to go away and listen – to street talk, to the radio, to anything that will tune reluctant ears to unaccustomed sounds ...

such music
in these words as yet
dimly understood