2013/1b.plaintext

   1 KINDNESS IS TO BE FOUND EVERYWHERE, EVEN IN THIS STINKING PLACE. THE GUARDS TAKE AWAY ANYTHING THEY CAN THAT MIGHT BRING US SOME JOY, BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE EVERYTHING. SOME OF THE GIRLS SING, OTHERS TELL STORIES TO KEEP THE FEAR AT THE EDGE OF OUR HEARTS - IT NEVER COMPLETELY LEAVES US - AND MY PICTURES ARE ALL I HAVE TO OFFER IN RETURN. PAPER IS PRECIOUS AND MOST OF MY PAINTINGS AND SKETCHES ARE HIDDEN ON THE ROUGH WOODEN SLATS OF OUR BUNKS UNDER THE THIN MATTRESSES. DETAIL IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WOULD BE HARD EVEN ON FINE CANVAS GIVEN THE PIGMENTS I CAN MAKE FROM THE BRICK DUST, SOIL AND SCRUBBY WEEDS IN THE CAMP. I AM THANKFUL EVERYDAY FOR MY GRANDFATHER'S INSISTENCE THAT AN ARTIST SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN COLOURS. WHEN I DO FIND PAPER, I WRITE. THIS GREASY SCRAP WAS THE WRAPPING ON A GUARD'S SANDWICH AND THE GREASE WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PAINT ON EVEN IF I WANTED TO, BUT CHARCOAL FALLEN FROM A GUARD'S BRAZIER SEEMS TO WORK FINE.
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   3 THE OTHERS IN MY DORMITORY TELL ME TO RECORD AS MUCH AS I CAN. NONE OF US KNOW IF WE WILL LIVE TO TELL THE WORLD OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS THAT HAPPEN HERE, SO I DRAW AND, WHEN I CAN, I WRITE, ALWAYS WITH ONE EAR LISTENING FOR THE CRUNCH OF A BOOT ON THE GRAVEL OUTSIDE. THE STONES ARE SHARP AND THE SOLDIERS DON'T GIVE US FOOTWEAR. IT IS ANOTHER WAY TO HUMILIATE US AND WEAR US DOWN, BUT THEY DO NOT REALISE THAT THIS MEANS THAT WE CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THEY ARE COMING. KINDNESS IS TO BE FOUND EVERYWHERE HERE, EVEN IN THEIR STUPID CRUELTY.