Freya's Commonwealth Essay - Junior 2023

"Jiaying!" She whispered,

Uncomfortably restrained, she squirmed,

As I distributed the cards with written-on roles.

"What is it?" I replied,

Sorting Lego-blocks, warriors in disguise,

Ready to save a kingdom under siege.

"The monsters are approaching!" She declared,

Her hands animated, battling imaginary foes.

I armed my warrior with a strawberry-topped Pocky sword,

Preparing for the impending war.

"Stand by my side," I whispered softly.

"Always," came the faithful reply.

Hours passed as these plays continued,

Until exhaustion claimed us, clutching our warriors tight.

Through the car window, a magical world unfurled,

In the eyes of a child, dreams knew no bounds.

Lifeless Lego became the start of grand tales,

Childish hands shaping clay-like realms.

In those wild worlds, anything was possible,

Princesses fled, monsters revived,

Yet amidst ever-changing stories, hope remained.

We rallied together, facing spontaneous challenges,

Fighting courageously whatever came up,

The superpower of imagination to shape a collectively desired world.

But as I have grown older, battle cards are no longer an interest,

And with them, the lenses of childhood's view have cracked.

The car windows fogged,

The magical world is hidden,

Yet no castles outside, only shackles in the rain.

The world, unlike fairy tales, reveals its unfairness.

These monsters are no longer visible,

Ones that even the strongest sword cannot slay.

A division disrupting harmony and determining one’s fate.

Colorful realms washed away by furious waves of reality,

Replaced with broken shackles, blown by the wind,

Leaving many with hopelessness, left to struggle alone.

Dreams were shattered along with solace, 

Leaving a lingering sense of dread. 

Everything remained, as it was.

But hidden monsters attacked.

These “warriors” vanished,

Replaced by indifferent stares,

Ignoring these pleas for help,

Followed by silent disappearance.

The crowds of indifference,

Enforced by adults who believe the world is already stained by unfairness, 

Believing in human nature’s inherent evilness,

And thus, nothing could be changed. 

Those beliefs enforced societal barriers,

The ignorant nature of humanity overwhelmed,

Turning a blind eye to the symphonies of pleas, 

Oblivious to the power within us to shape a better world.

Yet, hidden within the hearts of the youth, 

A flicker of hope remains, different from this indifferent world,

A superpower awaits reawakening. 

We are practiced at fighting monsters.

The ability to craft a desired world.

With visions, a fairy tale world appears,

Absent of prejudice and inequality. 

A world where creed and color vanish,

Boundaries and barriers dissolve into air. 

Empowered by enterprises, 

The youthful superpower rewinds,

The desire to call upon solidarity,

And the power to imagine one’s own world.

We are practiced at facing what we fear.

Only then, the chains of the past break–

The normalized ignorance and hatred,

Cloudy eyes defog,

And known horrors fade,

In the terrible vastness of the possible.

Prejudice crumbles, 

Shattered by love and understanding. 

The elders' shackles of unfairness shatter, 

Replaced with kindness and compassion.

The youth, together armed with imagination, 

Set out to destroy the status quo,

And we practice against monsters,

Until a desired world comes true

Where everyone stands on equal ground.

Although there are still no fairy tales,

No princess or magic to save the day;

Our practice stays with us.

No warrior fights off these monsters

Except now, wielding the mighty sword of words. 

Writing with all their might,

To break free from the intergenerational shackles,

To disrupt the never-ending loop of inequality. 

Called upon action,

The words of these youths transform into a power, 

Calling for solidarity and 

Unity to construct a new world, 

Built upon the dreams of the youth,

And the practice of vanquishing monsters.

No longer will humanity turn a blind eye, 

For they recognize their collective power to shape the world they desire. 

And as they craft their own world, 

People believe once again in change.

With each word written, 

Each action taken, 

They propel themselves forward, 

Crafting a path to a society free of bias.

The power to transform lies within each and every youth, 

Waiting to be awakened, to break free from this world

With a pen, and imagination, 

Begins the superpower to forge a better future for all.