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Edited and created by pupils of 9E 2019.

1 – THE RUMINATING GALAXY

2 - THE ENDURING METAPHOR

2 – CELESTIAL COMMODITIES

3 – EXPLORATORY CONSENT

4 – PLANETARY PERSPECTIVES

5 – INTERSTELLAR MINDS

THE RUMINATING GALAXY

The Secret Place Up There

A quiet space, our secret place

Up here beyond the city

Beyond the clouds

Beyond the sky

We shoot across the stars

and dance beneath the milk light of the moon.

Your hair, shimmering with star dust and the iridescent sparkle in your eyes setting my heart aflame

And at this moment the sun sits miles away, jealous of that smile upon your face.

You’re glowing like you never have before

Like you never have when you were down there

On earth

Where your eyes fall dull and the warmth of your embrace doesn’t feel the same,

where your smile is forced to the point where it stretches the corners of your lips so that it hurts

I know you don’t want that

So, stay

Up here

Where you don’t have to be trapped

Where those angelic wings of yours no longer have to stay withered and weak behind the bars of society

I’ll let you fly free

To explore the stars and slide down the milky way

To draw new constellations and venture across the solar system

I know you’d love that

So please stay

Stay up here and never go down again

Stay with me and stay close

Don’t run too far or you might let go.

Let go and you’ll drift.

And once you drift, I won’t be there.

It will be too late

not even the hands reaching out from earth could save you then.

It’ll get cold

It’ll get dark

The comfort of your hand in mine will no longer be in reach

Your eyes will freeze like glass and the flame burning in your chest will start to die.

It will no longer be our place to share.

Artistic Statement

The poem I have written depicts space as an escape from reality, a fantasy land where beings alike can be free from all stress, hate and discrimination. A mysterious and exciting place to be explored where there are no limits to your curiosity. It depicts the distance between the moon and the Earth’s atmosphere and unravels the emotions and thoughts of a person who longs to set another free. It explores the thought of ‘is what you want what you need?’ and if it is beware of what will come.

Mars by Isabella Chen

Translucent water, muddy gutter.

Irrelevant settlement, grubby jumper.

This is my planet, this is my home.

A green and blue palette,

A big and round planet.

If only I could go to Mars.

Clouds of thunder, showering rain.

Nowhere to shelter, passing trains.

Hiding my tears, falling like rain.

Growling stomach, growing pain.

If only I could go to Mars.

I cry and weep.

I try and seek.

I beg and plead.

I starve and sleep.

If only I could go to Mars.

Bones gone brittle,

Teeth gone yellow,

Limbs so little,

Never will giggle.

If only I could go to Mars.

I trip and fall.

I run and call.

I look so small.

They stand so tall.

If only I could go to Mars.

Up there in the sky,

Buried in the stars,

A place called mars,

Is calling my heart.

If only I could go to Mars.

I will sleep in blankets,

And enjoy the banquets.

Where I will inhabit,

And play like rabbits.

I’m ready for Mars.

No longer freezing,

No longer starving.

I’m now leaving,

I’m finally departing.

That place I’ve been dreaming.

At last, I’m coming.

Mars, they say, it’s really something.

On the empty street,

My body sinks.

The wind is whistling,

The sky is singing.

The stars are sparkling.

Mars is calling.

I’m leaving for Mars.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

My poem mainly conveys the theme of poverty, however, also focusing on homelessness and hunger. It is inspired by an image, displaying a person staring into a starry night, alone. The poem compares life on Earth and Mars from the perspectives of a homeless person, living in poverty, who desires life on Mars. This image shows the silhouette of a person, staring longingly up into a very starry night. It can be interpreted as a person being lonely, as he is standing all alone under a big surrounding that engulfs him. Being too small compared to their surroundings inspired me to write the poem about being too small in society, unable to fit in and being looked down on.

moonchild.

Sometimes

I feel like I am the rabbit on the moon

with only artificial satellites to keep me company.

Like I am a comparatively small lone comet

shooting past all the other brighter stars.

Like I am floating past galaxies, watching from afar

as the humans party down on Earth.

Am I the only one who feels like this?

Sometimes

I wonder if I’m from the moon.

An alien,

A different species,

Not human.

Maybe that’d be easier to accept.

After all, if I was from the moon,

Then at least I would have a valid reason

As to why I feel so different from everyone else.

Sometimes

I watch helplessly

as the universe swallows me whole

And the infinite number of stars

glitter above my head like sequins

And the Milky Way weaves throughout the sky

And in the deep vastness of the night

I long for my home on the moon.

Here on Earth,

They say that difference is celebrated.

That you are you, and you are unique.

And yet I am here,

An outcast,

For being myself.

Everyone here feels too foreign,

Too fake,

Too flawless.

And I can’t help but wonder,

‘Are people really living in a different world from me?’

Artistic Statement

My poem is a piece of writing about feeling alienated or different in modern-day society. It was inspired by a drawing of a lone rabbit on the moon, which to me symbolises loneliness and difference. I want my audience to relate to the feeling of indifference/loneliness which are so prominent in our world today. Although things such as social media are platforms which are meant to connect people, it very often does the opposite. People may look at pictures other people post and wonder why they cannot be as happy/talented/ rich/beautiful as other people, and they may feel alone. Why is everyone else so happy and perfect? The goal of my poem is for people to realise that almost everyone feels this way, what they are feeling is (unfortunately) fairly common/normal, and they are not alone.

The Bottle Stumbling across a vast galaxy Is a letter written on alien tapestry Lovingly it was slipped inside a glass bottle So to not let the paper mottle Launched from a sidereal quay Sails the bottle to meet the addressee A fearsome beauty is the universe The bottomless sea in which the vessel must traverse Hanging around on a lonely planet Of swirling sand and cold granite Stands a boy, who did not hold great trust That the bottle would reach his world of dust The distant girl who had promised him That her letter would find the boy at the world’s rim Was never the sort to be fully honest And so he worried that it was an empty promise When the boy’s sky had turned its back on the sun The boy saw that the bottle had finally come With suppressed eagerness he withdrew the message But in dismay he found an untranslatable passage The boy could not understand her words so unknown And suddenly the distance between them made him feel so alone He thought of his alien friend And the truthful words of love he longed to send As the rift between the two widened They stopped hoping to see another bottle on horizon If only the boy ever knew She had written “I love you”

Artistic Statement My poem, “The Bottle”, tells the story of a girl and boy who live at separate ends of the universe. While in the poem they are separated and aren’t even the same type of being, they still have knowledge of each other and long to communicate. But the distance between them, both physical, culturally and emotionally prevents this. I believe this topic fits the theme of space, as I feel that space can be beautiful, interesting, fearsome or dangerous depending on who is asked. Just like love and friendship can be those things. My poem was inspired by a picture from the NASA Archives “Great Observations Unique Views of the Milky Way”, as well as the Beatles song “Across the Universe” which was sent into deep space as a message, just like the bottle. The message of the poem could be to not let personal relationships crumble and to take chances even if it seems impossible. This message is demonstrated through the structure of the poem, as seen in actions of the girl and the boy, who let their love dwindle until only regret was left. Each paragraph of the poem shows the effects of space and distance on the two. The bottle’s journey symbolises the efforts made to reach out to people, and to break out of a comfort zone and to communicate with someone. My poem is a very personal one, as I used it as an attempt to get over the loss of losing many friendships this year – many of those losses the result of miscommunication and fear. I have found that even some of my deepest and strangest fears have snuck their way into this poem. I see my poem as a message to others and myself - that you shouldn’t give up on the things you love.

I was so intrigued by the beauty of your space

And so, I came into yours and you came into mine

In this cyberspace, your ineffable personality, it shined

And I knew that you would be someone

who would eventually become my number one.

“What time is it for you right now? I don’t want to

wake you up by texting you in the middle of the night,”

I asked this because I wanted to get close to you, everything felt so right

And to my surprise, you replied with the same number that was on top of my screen

How glad I was to find out that I can text you at any time, I was keen

~4617 kilometers between us,

but that distance means nothing, for we still spend hours and hours together;

texting each other back and forth, you were slowly becoming my sister

and, I, also slowly became yours. We somehow became inseparable

Us eventually meeting is something inevitable.

We don’t share the same ethnicity, background, and nor do we share the same age,

but all these differences don’t mean anything, for we share the same dream.

Day and night, we talk about it – let’s make the ultimate dream team,

I know how hard we both work towards it,

So, let’s work even harder and never quit.

Let’s close the distance and meet one day, at that place, where,

we’re both closer to achieving what we’ve dreamt of for the past years,

but I promise it’ll be all worth it when we hear the crowd cheer

For us, who are meant for each other,

are also meant to shine like the stars out there. Let’s be together forever.

Artistic Statement

December 12, 2017 was the date I started talking to one of my best friends, hence the title of my

poem. My poem tells the story of our friendship – how we started talking, what we bonded over

and our promises. The theme I tried to convey in [December 12, 2017] is friendship. I simply

wanted to write a poem about our friendship to express my gratitude for her and tell her how

much I appreciate her.

What you take

She is a weed

To most she is just a pest, an annoyance,

Just another thing to look down on, spit on, step on

Trying to convince herself

She is allowed to take up space

Is like trying to win a poker game

without an ace

He is a peach tree

His pinkish yellow fruit hanging attractively from the branches

His spotless leaves and vibrant colours thanks to the countless coats of pesticides and poisons sprayed over him

In every way, shape and form he seems

Better

For he is tall with green leaves and bright, juicy fruit

Whereas she is just

Fruitless,

Believes she is so useless,

Truthfully rootless,

To herself and herself only she is

ruthless

He seemed so deserving

Of the space he took up

Proud of the way his limbs were incurving

And all the people admiring his beauty, just observing

How could she ever

Live up to something so

Unnerving

But, overtime she comes to see

How fake an individual portrayed as great can truly be

His façade wears off

The chemicals for plants that killed the ants that gave him such a nice appearance

Had finally washed away

So, those were his true colours

She watched him wilt in the harsh winter air

rotting away from inside out

She, however, lived on

As she is a weed

They can thrive everywhere in any place

And from this she takes away, that she takes space

Artistic Statement

My poem is about the space people take up and their mentality behind it. It explores two people (both represented as plants) and their mindsets regarding their self-worth. This poem wasn’t necessarily inspired by an image, however, after browsing the Nasa Archives I found an image that somewhat embodies the main characters of the poem. Many people struggle with realising their own self-worth, and through this text, I hope that it can maybe make readers more confident in themselves and realise what they’re really capable of. What they can also take away from my poem is that the people you look up to are not always who you think they are, and you shouldn’t compare your life to their highlight reel.

THE ENDURING METAPHOR

'Singularity' by anonymous (front cover illustrator)

I once was a planet vibrant and fiery,

but now the eternal void consumes my consciousness,

as the star clusters, which once burned so bright in my mind, dim,

Dim, until only shattered fragments of brilliance remain scattered throughout the void.

I once was a planet vibrant and fiery.

I stood my ground.

I was Venus, the very ground scorched beneath my feet, my power,

And my speed so impressive that Earth always trailed 140 days behind.

But people don't care for speed.

I once was a planet vibrant and fiery.

But I'm tired now.

Too tired to shine, too weak to travel.

The void consumes me.

I don't fight.

Instead I accept this prison of darkness.

I am no more a planet. Not vibrant.

Not fiery.

Through my own singularity I now look back at those golden glimmers of light, once bright, and now

burnt out.

The Space Between Us

If you were the Earth and they were the Moon,

then I would fly a rocket through the atmosphere

and settle on a foreign lump of rock

far, far away from your imperfections

Everything we’ve ever known has only existed on the big blue planet,

you were the only thing I ever knew.

Each country, so special,

so diverse, so perfect.

From Earth I could see the stars, glistening,

the faint outline of the moon, barely there.

Your starry eyes, getting lost in them, each glimmer a new adventure

The winding rivers and daunting jungles,

each twist and turn, a new surprise

The more time I spend with you, new surprises

the faint outline of the moon, slowly appearing.

Smoke filling the air, destroying my lungs,

Ice caps melting, animals dying.

A friendship melting, dying

Suddenly, not so perfect anymore

The faint outline of the moon, solidifies.

Governments around the world, corrupt, lying

the truth exposed

Feeling worthless and underappreciated in your presence

The faint outline of the moon is not faint anymore, it is full

Reflecting its light upon the Earth, upon me

In this wide universe that we live in, we were placed upon earth

some’s deepest desire to go to the moon

some too scared to face the result it brings

Until now, I never wanted to explore the infinite space between us

To explore other planets, to explore the moon

But its light reflects upon the Earth, highlighting your flaws

When things aren’t going right,

when the world around you is falling apart,

my first instinct would be to escape.

To pack my bags and leave the shattered glass, that is your presence

cutting me, bruising me.

The moons light reflects upon the Earth, showing me that this isn’t what I want anymore

But no matter how hard I try, I can’t shake you off,

Always there, you’re always… there

Trying to defy your gravity is a struggle, Earth

It’s a struggle

But one thing you taught me is to not give in to the struggle and to rise above it

So, I did

I’m a raging rocket, about to take flight

5

4

3

2

1

blast off…

Bursting through the atmosphere, leaving my past behind me

no regrets

The space between us, growing, growing, growing

Dread and fear slips off my shoulders,

advancing through the stars,

space debris floating around me

Letting go of everything, my everything

My used to be everything, you

The moon has its imperfections,

But so does the earth

But the thing that makes the moon so imperfectly perfect

Is that they’re imperfections make them who they are

They don’t hide them, or pretend to be someone they’re not

They don’t boast about their best qualities but hide their worst

The moon may seem insignificant or small at times

They may seem a bit rough around the edges at times

But they’re there for you even when the sun don’t shine,

They light up your way even if you’re scared of the dark

So if you ask me,

Do I want to go to the moon?

then I would fly a rocket through the atmosphere

and settle on a foreign lump of rock

far, far away from you, the Earth and your imperfections.

The view is better here anyways.

Artistic Statement

My poem ‘The Space Between Us’ incorporates physical space as well as metaphorical space and the space between people. Here I chose to personify the moon but also use factual information somewhat factual information to describe the qualities of this particular ‘person’. I used repetition to show that the ‘moon’/the person representing the moon, is becoming more present in my life than the Earth and I’m choosing to focus on the moon over the Earth.

Another Perspective

5

Every night gazing at the deep black sky a million stars mimicking the light of the moon

Beaming down on the world from sunrise till noon

The warmth radiated by the sun felt infinite as the starts shared their secrets

Floating through the Milky Way in their unique orbits they were never meant to meet

And they never have

An intergalactic marvel that can be witnessed by anyone within the grasps of the

constellations

Below the might of these extravagant skies lies an accretive product of the solar nebula….

Earth

4

Hearts with sincerity have no popularity

Where there’s twists and tricks that have no authenticity

But solidarity can spark creativity

And within that space you are able to fulfil your heart’s desires

Disguise our barbarity temporarily

Treat ourselves like celebrities cause we’re losing that sense of security

Every way we turn it’s like authorities’ intensities storming with conspiracies

Mistaking my longevity, I wish I had the eternity

To cleanse the impurity within me eating away at my soul

Empathy towards my enemies no jealousy is the remedy

Unfamiliarity’s within the minority ripping through them terribly

Where similarities have priorities involuntarily

Where the majority fills the integrity with much dramatic irony

How much it changes momentarily

3

The source of our existence destined to have persistence

For the people of the world can fight through many things

Our resilience leads us on the right track with golden wings

The hope for humanity is never lost

never found

but embedded into reality

A fine circuitry that even humans disbelieve but we will always interweave

Let’s think about this for a moment….

Establishing connections to the ones without perfections

Dedicating our lives to the ones who need protection

The ones who don’t feel affection and are warped in a world of public subjection

These people feel pain, surging through their veins like microinjections

The ones who work the most but are not even seen in retrospections

The true warriors of the world who have just dreamed of a stable life

But its all for a price and for some of us the price is too high

Then we fade into the past like we were never there

Thrown around by the hands of common pedestrians

Shredded into oblivion

2

Staying hopeful is not always possible

Especially when your silver lining is redlining your mistakes

Mental breakdowns causing tremors as large as earthquakes

You don’t know what you mind makes

An environment with no filters that hits you like splinters

Stabbing deep through weak bones, your weak zones

Melting away at your inner unknowns

Times where thoughts circulate like cyclones

When you’re all alone

1

The world needs to work collectively to increase our integrity

Cause we’ll take some hits along the way,

but the gunshots will not lead us astray

A world where overpay will just run away

Where an economic recession won’t cause any clinical depression

We can’t always be perfective

Or reach our objective

Or inventive

But we can look at things a different way

All it takes is just another perspective.

……

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

The poem that I have created is called Another Perspective. I spent most of my childhood years in India, I had quite a clear sense of the problems in my society. There were people on the streets, many with disabilities or injuries begging for money and food. I would constantly ask my parents in the public if we could give some money to poor, even though my wishes could be fulfilled I was determined to make even a small change to this continuum of ignorance. After moving to Australia my ambitions remained the same, I would always think of what would happen to my family if we were in these circumstances. The poem I wrote was a great way for me to express my feelings and to hopefully inspire others to make a change. Firstly, the constant theme of a rocket

launch adds a lot of tension and character to the poem. It also leads a way that humanity can move on and extend its reach to the stars. It is an indirect symbol of hope and that there is nothing that is impossible. At the end of the poem the reader is left to think what is going to happen next, as in reality they are the people who can make a change.

CELESTIAL COMMODITIES

Parachute by Merek, Callum, Marcus and Divyang The orange hatch pulled away…

Apollo 16 had done its job; we’d made it to re-entry…

It’s all on me now

The wind rushes all over, setting me free

I split into three and all I see is the deep, blue, Atlantic sea

I caught the wind, all eyes were on me

My dream was no longer fantasy,

I was in the lime-light, the masterpiece

High-speed winds tearing through my sheets

I was on fire

Apollo now saved, from a situation so dire.

But what I feared came true,

“Mission’s over, no one cares about you”

I was just some ragged up piece of crap,

I had fallen for my own trap,

I craved it like an addiction,

I wanted it back,

I needed it. The fame.

A range of emotions rushed through.

I let them all queue

I wanted to see their point of view,

First was jealousy,

Why does the shuttle get the credit for this adversity?

I was the shadow to its light,

Without me, 16 couldn’t have even put up a fight,

The atmosphere would have engulfed it whole,

Thrown it into the ocean like a high-speed bowling ball

I saved Apollo from certain death

I did it, it was me,

Yet 16 gets all the glory

Next in the line was downpour of sadness,

All of these blues filling my atlas,

Was I really worth nothing to them?

Am I really as worthless as Yr. 9 STEM (joke)?

Deep blue no longer represented the sea,

It was my tears; it was the new me,

I saved Apollo from certain death

I did it, it was me,

Yet 16 gets all the glory

Last of the significant emotions was hope,

It was the last thread of my war-torn rope,

The burning stars above represented this emotion,

I hope someone will notice me and cure this poisonous potion,

I hope someone will notice that it was me who saved Apollo from expiry

I deserve some of the glory.

If anyone does notice me in all of this fuss,

I think they definitely deserve an A+.

Artistic Statement

The inspiration for this poem came from when we visited the NASA exhibit at the Queensland Museum. When we saw one of Apollo 16’s damaged parachutes we got inspired to write our poem about under appreciation from the perspective of that parachute. Our poem explores the relatable feeling of doing something and getting no credit for it.

Space Shuttle Challenger

28.01.1986 By Alex Hassall

TEN million wait-filled moments lead to these ten final seconds

They brave the frigid, frosty dawn

Anticipation keeps them warm

The perfectly painted blue sky heralds a wondrous day

An historic day

It will be

A perfect day

NINE billion lenses glued to this point

This moment in time

Flash-flash

Snap-snap

Blink-blink

They are cameras and eyes

Focusing, they capture hope and hopes

Fear and fears

They see bravery and the brave

The ones inside and their loved ones out

SEVEN on board

They walk so tall

Joyous smiles that say it all

Hello they cry

And farewell they wave

So soon, too soon

Oblivious to their final goodbye

THREE then two

TWO parents each

For each of the seven

Supporting

Guiding

They’ve handed over the controls this day

Their ship sailed to these shores turns to ONE

That will soar to

Through

Beyond the stars

As ONE we cheer

Our roaring echoes and they lift

Off they go

Soaring

Blasting

A trail of smoke and fire left in its wake

Tension rising

Breathing halted

Hearts exploding

Willing them there and back again

SEVENTY-ONE ticks of the hand

Soaring, roaring

SEVENTY-TWO

Flying, shooting

Stars welcoming

SEVENTY-THREE

Blasting off, blasting away

And—

Blasting… apart?

ONE planet witnessing a whole new perspective

Tension rising

Breathing halted

Hopes exploding

Debris raining down

Flash-flash

Snap-snap

Blink-blink

Lenses not comprehending

They are cameras and eyes

Knowing not what they’re seeing

SEVEN they were

In an instant no more

Countless weight-filled shoulders

Heavy with fears and fear coming to life

Loved ones willing them home

They’ll need to be brave

This moment in time

Smoke and fire paint the sky

The perfectly ruined blue heralds a catastrophic day

An historic day

It was

An imperfect day

Artistic Statement

My poem is based off the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that occurred on January 28, 1986. 73 seconds after take-off, one of the rocket boosters came loose and the shuttle exploded, killing all 7 on board; 5 astronauts, a payload specialist and a high school teacher. I simply wanted to write a poem about the Challenger disaster in 1986. I am fascinated by the fact nobody was expecting or predicting this event to occur, and nobody was prepared for it. Also, members of the public were on board that ship and their friends, family and students were watching, either on TV or at the launch site. It was a tragic accident and my poem conveys this through its anticipating and suspenseful beginning right up to the explosion and the grieving aftermath when everybody was trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Ah, Space

Ah space so big, so small

I have no idea what you are at all

Are you there for God

I do not know

Are you there for NASA

To put on a show

I have all the questions

But answers naught

And all the possibilities

And future sought

Time, space and souls

They are entwined

Fates and hopes

Are in my mind

But most importantly

If I could travel from here to there

What on earth would I wear

Artistic Statement

My poem is called Ah, Space and the image that inspired it is a photo of the astronaut

Edward H. White II in 1965. It is meant to highlight the fact that we know so little about

space. It is a massive thing with so many phenomenon’s and different objects and humans

have been researching it for years and yet we still have such a limited amount of answers.

My poem is supposed to ask questions simplify the complexity of space in a fun and comedic

way. For example, the part where it says “I have no idea what you are at all… I have all the

questions but, answers naught.” This tells us that there are so many theories and so many

things that space could be, people dedicate their lives to finding the answers but still barely

a hint of why it is there or what it does. The purpose of the poem is to try and simplify our

relationship with space in order to understand it. The point of this poem is to try and

simplify it and highlight the fact that space is complicated, and we don’t know much about it

and we may never know.

First Man by Delvin

May 2 - 6 years old

It was the day

The day where it all began

Tearing away the only thing between me and the mystery item engulfed in the glossy paper

To my surprise, it wasn’t the usual figure of Superman nor Batman

It was something extraordinary

My small mind exploded in delight

I had my own telescope

My love for space had begun

May 2 - 10 years old

I had good dreams at night

Where I got to laugh and sing along with the stars

Where I visited everything

From the moon to even mars

I dreamt of flying in space

Flying without fear

Flying like a bird

It was the only place where nothing could pull me down

May 2 - 14 years old

I wish I could have good dreams again

Where I would be free

With unlimited freedom

My surroundings like hell

Mercy was no more

I must encounter the pain

I wish I could just run

Run anywhere

Anywhere where the purple plums on my face will just vanish

Anywhere where the teachers won’t have blindfolds

My own reflection even dreading on my sight

I wish I could just escape

I wish I could just die

The old telescope cast away in the basement

Laying in despair while staring blankly at the spider webs painting the ceiling

Visitors were no more

Except the pesky rats who took it as their home

July 20 - 39 years old

All the years of training and hardship

My dreams finally coming a reality

My destiny nearly fulfilled

It was time

My first trip to space

in to the thin air

July 21 - 39 years old (3am)

My heart blasting in joy

My body shaking in delight

That young 6-year-old boy

Was now fulfilling his dream

I had defeated everything

Ignoring the hate from others

The walls that were placed in front of me destroyed

The people who tried to stop me forgotten

The people who loved me remembered and treasured

That one night

That one telescope

That one time where it all began

I could already imagine the headlines that would be broadcasted across the world

“Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon!

Artistic Statement

I have structured my poem to be in parts. Childhood, teenage and adulthood. For the childhood, I have used the age of 6 because I feel that is an age where were not too young to not understand but we still understand things that go on around us. It is an age where you are still naïve and innocent of basically everything. It is also an age where we start to get a love for something. This includes hobbies, sports and anything in general. We start to explore more about things that we are very curious about at that age. Before the teenage years I have a part of when the person is 10 years old. I feel that 10 years old is one of the best years for a child. An age where your understanding the world and gaining more knowledge on hobbies and etc. The teenage years are years when there are 3 types of students in school. The cool kids, the spectators and the victims. Generally, the cool kids love attention and picking on someone is really easy for them. The victims don’t get a voice and I feel that through this poem, bullying can be spread more. This poem can be spread to even the victims to give them that spark of hope. To know that there are people out there who experienced the same things but still came out on top. My poem also talks about hard work. Being an astronaut is a really difficult job and requires a lot of training. Neil Armstrong worked really hard and came the first man to ever walk on the moon. My poem shows these key messages by using words that resemble the messages. My poem shows that you can overcome bullying and still achieve your dreams. My poem demonstrates that if you really want something, nothing will be able to stop you from getting it. I feel that my poem can be spread to prove and show all audiences that bullying is not okay. Bullying is a huge problem in society and will not be stopped until action is taken. Neil Armstrong is a legend to the world but that doesn’t mean you have to be world known to make you who you are. You can still be that person you want to be by just trying your best and overcoming and ignoring haters. From that one telescope to the first man on the moon; everything has a start and will be finished by the effort you put in.

I am an astronaut

I would be an astronaut

Soaring through space in a rocket ship of my design

Living the dream going to the divine

I would be an astronaut

Loving every moment of living, free from the bonds of gravity

Never having to be frugal or savvy

I would be an astronaut

Oh how I adore them

Their boots, gloves and theorems

I would be an astronaut

Not a worry out of the world

The sails of freedom, unfurled

I would be an astronaut

Stopping for nothing and no-one

Not a bruise, papercut or sore thumb

Now, I am an astronaut

higher than everyone else, yet painfully sober

Even though it’s nearly Oktober

I am an astronaut

I was promised heaven

But all I see is the vast expanse of nothing, 24/7

I am an astronaut

Please don’t admire me

Please don’t go through the torture that I see

I am an astronaut

Still so immature

I guess that’s a reason why I was lured

Into the system

that utterly destroyed my already dying ambition

I am an astronaut

Stranded in the vast unknown of outer space

Knowing never to show my face

I’m trying my hardest to grow up

But I’ve seemed to blow up

I am an astronaut

Trying not to be

Escaping this world was the absolute worst thing for me

But my hand was forced

The job market has absolutely no remorse

I am an astronaut

But soon, maybe I’ll grow out of it

Artistic Statement

This poem is called “I am an astronaut” and there is one main theme behind the concept of it and that is the thought of growing up. This image really inspired me by showing how many Australian role models look so grown up in many photos and depictions of them and alcohol and growth was a major part of the experience. This also connects to how that inspires children to really be in a hurry to grow up, hence the short nature of the poem. The subject matter being the thought of a child growing up in space where space is a metaphor for life on earth.

*This*Life* by Lillian McNaughton

This helmet...

It feels too tight on my head

as I prepare to face the unearthly pressures,

gravity, and atmosphere of this new planet.

This helmet... It keeps me alive,

and yet makes me

feel the

cold loneliness

of death.

As I carry out my missions This bulky space suit...

It must weigh 2 times

my body weight extends my body

3 times its true size, like a gigantic hug.

This bulky space suit... Protects my skin

from the cold whilst also

protecting me from the

warmth and

comfort t

hat comes

From The Touch Of Another. This beautiful world...

that I see from my window

almost glows at night with the polluting lights

of civilisation. This beautiful world...

With swirls of blue seas, silver clouds,

and green lands, they all merge

together to create

ThIs GoRgEoUs PaTcHwOrK QuIlT Of LiFe. This fulfilling mission...

that I have been charged with,

is too search the stars for new life,

for new oppotunities, for new hope.

This fulfilling mission... where I,

and I alone am responsible for

tHe fUtuRe aNd sUrvIvaL of My rAce... This bright sun...

it is still blinding to my well-trained eyes

as I travel faster than a flash of fire,

past our only light source This bright sun...

it burns my core as I travel,

probably too close, on my way

tO neW PLaNetS, nEw hOStS... This dry food...

flavourless like dust, I don't want

to know how it got its nutrients...

Blocking your nose doesn't help.

This dry food...

organised into packets that should last me years,

they line the wall, an

aluminium pinboard,

DisPlAyiNg vARioUs SpECieS oF buTTerFLy. This empty compartment...

that I am confined to has everything I need

to live out my years, alone, unwanted, unacknowledged...

This empty compartment... has everything my body

needs to survive, but it has nothing

to help with the loneliness

that comes with SuCh a tRYiNg EnDeaVOuR. This lonely journey...

I don't remember what I hated

about earth, about my family,

about my life that forced me

to seek out other planets. I don’t remember

The person I was Before the

loneliness Before the

darkness I

don’t remember Love, or

hope I don’t

even remember

MY OWN NAME...

Artistic Statement

The exhibit that inspired this poem was an astronaut’s helmet and other supplies that would’ve been needed during a SPACE mission. My initial approach was quite dark, first exploring why astronauts decide to leave their Earth lives. After this, though I tried, I couldn’t pull away from the idea of an Astronaut slowly losing their mind alone in the vast darkness of space. My poem is supposed to reflect the slow downward spiral of one’s mind, hope, and ambitions during their missions. In my opinion the key message or theme is the effects of the isolation and such of space on Astronauts. This is mostly conveyed through my use of a variety of language features such as repetition and tri-colon as well as the literal downward spiral of the poem’s text. Examples in the text which I am particularly proud of our; in the first section, is use the astronaut’s helmet as both a literal object and a metaphor if one’s contract to space.

PLANETARY CONSENT

T H E B E G I N N I N G O F T H E E N D

It is the beginning of the end

I wander upon my world like a foreigner

Oceans are turned to acid

By the toxic gases that surround them

The air darkens

And the atmosphere chokes

As we swallow the earth’s soul

The once blossoming trees are struggling to breathe

As the term of beauty no longer defines our coral reefs

The birds that once sang have gone to sleep

As the precious wonders from Earth

Are now buried deep

I glare at the bare world that surrounds me

And see fields of heavy, concrete,

Strangling the dirt,

Layering their malevolent surface onto the grounds

A hell to the Earth

Rivers of what used to be filled with life,

Now dumped with hate

And we watch

As they drown in their own bodies

It is the beginning of the end

To cease our world away

A wildfire of hate is spreading

And is slowly taking the sparks of life

The Earth is crying,

But we don’t listen,

Too focused on ourselves

Oblivious to our own burns

Our ignorance has taken over us

And a toxic smoke has slithered into our souls,

Thoughts whirled up and twisted like a hurricane

destroyed all just to prove that we are not the cause

Rather, that this destined to happen

It is the beginning of the end

That we were given a world

And have taken it for granted

That we ignore the desperate sounds

Of the twittering in the air,

Of the once lively flowers,

And blooming blossoms,

No longer visible

Time has taken its toll

And we have left it too late

Forgetting our damage can’t be undone

We all want to make our mark on this planet

But why must we do it like this?

Why must we suffocate the earth

With the hot and heavy air that surrounds us?

It is the beginning of the end

Tonight we watch as the stars fall,

Tomorrow, we feel mars call

As we plead

For another planet to destroy

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

‘The beginning of the end’ is about the large issue of global warming, and how humans are destroying the planet. This idea was inspired by both the real world problem of global warming, but also from a birds eye view image of ice caps slowly melting away into the ocean. This Photograph inspired me as it shows how much ice caps are really melting and how much damage we have actually done to the Earth and the nature that surrounds it. Throughout the poem, the message that we cannot run away from the damage we have done, and move to another planet was

clearly depicted. Additionally, that time is slowly running out and we need to help our earth, not just ignore what is happening around us. The invited reading in this poem is to appeal attention to the prevention of global warming and damaging our planet, and also to create a new perspective, or way of thinking on the author to act for change towards our planet. Our poem ‘It is the beginning of the end’ addresses the straining issue of global warming and our disbelief and ignorance towards it. Our message is to bring awareness to our actions and highlights what will happen if we don’t make a change. In doing so, we also allow the reader to interpret the poem in their own way but assure they too are led to the intended conclusions. The invited reading is to draw attention to the importance of preventing the development of global warming and creating the perspective that will help the reader to act on change. My inspiration was drawn from both the real world and a picture from the NASA archives. The image is part of Earth covered in ice however, due to climate change, the icecaps are starting to melt as our use in fossil fuels increases. As we continue to destroy our planet, the worse it gets as we reach a point where our damage cannot be undone. This will lead to humans looking for other planets to live on and to take resources from. Ultimately, there are only so many planets that can support life in space and if we destroy them all, the hope for any existence is close to none.

THEN YOU LEFT By Daniel and Jack I am the Earth

Your only hope

Your only home

I gave you life

And so much more

Flora, fauna, people and things

They are beautiful,

But in return…

You gave me the black, poisonous smoke

The ticking nuclear timebombs

You took my precious stones,

My rocks, My fuel

My soul.

There was nothing left

You set your sights on a new place

An escape from your mistakes

You couldn’t save me anymore

A countdown was all you had time for

T-3

T-2

T-1

Lift-off

Then you left…

I am the Moon

I am your only hope now

I am your only home now

I kept you alive

And in return,

You gave me what I wanted

Flora, Fauna, People and things

I became a real planet

But in return…

You gave me your hideous factories

Your ticking plastic timebombs

You turned me into a literal dump

You set your sights on a new place

An escape from your mistakes

You couldn’t save me anymore

All you had time for was a countdown

T-3

T-2

T-1

Lift-off

Then you left…

I am Mars

I am your only hope now

I am your only home now

I kept you alive once more

And in return,

You gave me what I wanted

Flora, Fauna, People and things

But, just like before,

You gave me your hideous factories

Your ticking plastic timebombs

You turned me into a literal dump

Like the others before me

Like earth, like moon

You set your sights on a new place

To escape from your past mistakes

You couldn’t save me anymore

All you had time for was a countdown

T-3

T-2

T-1

Lift-off

Then you left…

You land on a new planet

You turn them into the ones before it

Like Earth, like Moon, like Mars, like Jupiter,

like Neptune, like Pluto,

You took off

T-3

T-2

T-1

Lift-off

You left for the last time

There was nowhere to go

All your options exhausted

I was the earth

I was your hope

I was your home

But You’ve given up on me

Destroyed me

All I can do now is slowly die

But don’t ruin the others

They are natural, unruined

Unlike me

Unlike you

Save them.

You,

Sitting there on your comfy chair

Sitting idly by

Whilst the same mistakes are made

Again and again

Waiting for an escape

When will you learn

It doesn’t work.

If you

Do nothing

If you

Sit and watch the world go by

Your world will go by

Space?

It may be your final frontier.

Artistic Statement

Daniel

Our poem, Then You Left, was inspired by the image from the NASA archives. It features a capsule floating through space with the background of Earth. This image portrayed the realities of our exploration in space – in a tiny capsule, leaving the only home we know. It also brings to mind many private space companies seeking to inhabit the moon and even Mars. This poem was inspired by the idea of leaving home, brought into an environmental context. The poem discusses topics of sustainability and environmental awareness in the context of space exploration. It examines how our continued neglect of environmental issues on earth could be reflected on our attitude towards space travel, as an escape from the issues on the existing earth. The poem seeks to invite readers that our exploration of space should not blind us to the current environmental issues on earth and that the inhabitation of new planets can’t be seen as an escape from the environmental harm we have done to Earth – our original home.

Jack

My poem was written in partnership with Daniel Ho and is titled “Then You Left”. It was inspired by SpaceX’s plant to setup a permanent base on Mars by 2024 and NASA’s plan to settle on the moon also in 2024. Both of these plans point to a future without the Earth. However, we all known that living away from the Earth permanently won’t be anything like the life we know and love today. The poem discusses the topics of life beyond the earth, pollution and global warming. Through the invited reading of our poem we encourage readers to contemplate what life would be like without the Earth, and take more care of the only thing known to be capable of keeping us alive. We want more money to be spent saving what we have, not looking for a replacement that probably doesn’t exist. Our poem was also inspired by the following image which is from the NASA space archives. It pictures a small space shuttle in the foreground and the Earth in the background. This is one of two images we tried to portray and contrast in the last stanzas of the poem - The last humans in existence crammed into a tiny spacecraft looking down on the earth wanting to turn back time, and save what we had, not look for a replacement that probably doesn’t exist; And the reader, sitting in their comfy chair waiting for someone else to take action and save their world, encouraging them to think about their actions and how they affect the future of the human race.

PLANETARY PERSPECTIVES

Pluto

By Tony Nguyen

Pluto rolled out of bed

It was cold

She was supposed to be looking forward to the day ahead

But instead

She just felt dead inside

Pluto gazed at the other planets playing outside and cried

For she had tried to be like them

Lied in order to be like them

But they still felt unsatisfied at Pluto and said that she was too small to play with them

She was appalled and knew that above all

That she could never be like the other planets

Never good enough according to their prejudicial opinions

Never cool enough to hang out with superficial Jupiter and her 79 moon minions

Too miniscule to belong in their unofficial dominion

She was ridiculed because while the other planets were hot, she was -223 degrees…

School was hell for Pluto

She was as small as a molecule

There was an unofficial rule not to talk to her

It made her feel abysmal

Every insult was like an asteroid chipping away at her soul

Pluto was sucked into a black hole of depression

There was no question that she was too focused on perfection

And making a good impression, living in fear of rejection

Has an obsession with seeking attention

Oppressed by her parents who weren’t easily impressed

Waking up depressed every morning, repressed

Stressed about her follower count on In-star-gram

So she lived in isolation and frustration, contemplating her existence

Believing that no one would provide her assistance

Stuck in one location, keeping a distance

Because while the Sun was a superstar

Pluto was just… bizarre

The bar was set too high and she would never be quite on par with Mars

Never catch up to the competition

She made a decision that her ambitions were impossible to achieve because of her condition…

One afternoon, Jupiter and her moons

Showed up at Pluto’s door

She had never been here before

Pluto silently swore - thought she was done for

Jupiter ignored the ugly emo décor and waltzed indoors

And said,

“You’re out of orbit,

If you think you’re cool enough to hang with us you’re out of it

When you said I was hotter than Uranus I doubted it

Your feelings towards us are counterfeit

Earth has decided you’ve got no worth

And in other words,

You’re

Not a planet anymore….”

Artistic Statement

My poem is called “Pluto”, and it is technically about the dwarf planet Pluto, but is actually a metaphor to represent a small girl getting bullied by her classmates. The main themes include loneliness, bullying and depression, felt by Pluto as she is ignored by the other planets and is an outcast in their solar system, because she’s too weird and too small to play with them. The image chosen for this poem is titled “Jupiter” and is from the NASA Image Archives – this was edited into the final image at the end of the poem. Pluto’s loneliness is represented by her distance away from other planets, and the fact that she is “out of orbit.” At the end of the poem, Jupiter (which is represented as the popular kid/bully because of its physical size, being the largest planet in our solar system) kicks Pluto out from the “group” – which is the group of planets orbiting around the Sun, because she is too small to be a planet. This reflects real life, where in 2006, Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet.

A Fraction of Time by Katrina Wang

Human perspective:

An average human lifespan lasts,

Just one sixteenth of a cosmic second.

For the future, the present, the past,

All thoughts and deeds will be reckoned.

Confusing matters of time and space,

This world is where we stand upon.

For it is this earth, this planet’s embrace,

Where we will run a marathon.

One sixteenth of a cosmic second,

So short, so insignificant.

On the front lines with our weapons,

We are all the same, yet still so different

We are just little glow-worms stuck,

To the ceiling of a Tasmanian cave.

We exist and conquer with endless luck,

But this earth is what we must save.

We are just grains of rice squished,

Into a sushi of warm crispy prawn.

Devoured in a matter of minutes,

And by then, we are gone.

We are just drops of water crashing,

Onto the sand-covered beach.

Suddenly, something is flashing,

And now, we are out of reach.

We are just miniscule ants struggling,

To provide the queen the daily kill.

And when we are left with nothing,

Everything, everything is still.

Earth’s perspective:

These people, these humans,

They constantly demand me to grow.

Only worth a fraction of a cosmic second,

And they should be able to know:

To have gratitude and cherish,

What a world they’ve been given.

And if not, they’ll perish,

And their souls will ascend to Heaven.

They will love me back someday,

But sometimes they mistake me.

For a star, a moon, a small speck of dust,

And yet I am forced to live for eternity.

I have lived since the start,

Surrounded by infinite darkness.

But still they pound and ground me,

And I’ve seen how heartless.

They are only worth,

One sixteenth of a cosmic second.

But they have a life, and they will live it,

Because I, will teach them a lesson.

Artistic Statement

My poem, ‘A Fraction of Time’, focuses on the insignificance of humans in comparison to space and the lack of gratitude we have towards Earth. Unfortunately, we are quickly destroying and gradually stripping our planet to its core whilst astronauts explore for new planets as their victims. Space exploration is extremely expensive while it should be used to replenish the Earth and reduce many other serious issues. The image that inspired this idea is of the 2017 Solar Eclipse, collected from the NASA Image Archive. The moon blocking the sun demonstrates how humans are blocked by the reality of their actions and the consequences that will occur. On the other hand, the light beaming out from behind the moon represents the people who value the earth with hope that burns bright like the sun. Furthermore, the fact that the image is in black and white better contrasts the opinions and perspectives between humans and Earth. This picture is dominated by the black moon, almost like a black hole, with streaks of white brushing outwards outlining it. The bright light symbolises to Earth’s powerlessness against humans, while the image foreshadows what Earth will possibly look like in the future if this problem is not dealt with. There is no point of space exploration if Earth is not appreciated. ‘A Fraction of Time’ is a poem relating to the insignificance of humans, the amount of impact we can have on the Earth.

The Ignorance of Stardust Matilda Raison

I was born of floating dust My heart made of fire

No one has ever gotten close

For fear of being burned I suppose

They surround

And they live

And they fill my mind with sound But they never get too close

They never got too close

Until them.

They were different

And new…

And… Special

They made me feel the fire once more

Taught me to Embrace the heat

To Enjoy the heat

They sculpted my mind into an art I had never considered Never thought possible

But it

Was

Beautiful

And they were Kind

So

So

Kind

They paved pathways of wonder Brought new beauties to summers and winters

Made me Stop

And look

And see

They dug up my demons Uncovered ugly blemishes

Took my insecurities and unnecessary parts And burnt them

I watched the sparks

Sent flying by their fire With thankful eyes

They were so

Kind They made me

Stop

Look

See

Which confuses me…

Because I looked so close Payed so much attention

To every single action

But I never once noticed Never once stopped

Them

How can you see so much

But notice so little? Because before I knew it

Everything Had been stripped

Away

I suppose that’s the ignorance of stardust You latch to whatever comes close

And feel like a part of it You change its colour

How it feels

So obviously, you must be important…

But your own particles block your eyes Make you forget

How easily you’re swept aside

And now I see Now I actually see

Everything they were doing to me

They made me embrace my fire So they wouldn’t get cold

Twisted my thoughts Left ideas in the folds of my mind

The pathways they carved into my skin

Left scars

And I can only watch as my surroundings start to Crumble

And Crack

As I stumble to regain some sense of Control

Beauty is pain

That’s what they say What they always say

But if that were true Why have I been left like this?

After so much suffering So much moulding

And changing

It hasn’t been enough

To make me enough

They are not kind.

Far from it.

They are selfish They don’t try to hide it

They don’t have to

And if you notice their selfishness they’ll just blame it on

You That’s human nature

And now that I’m dried and thinned Stretched and skinned

They’re Bored

Now they’ve used me all they could Flicked the final particles of insignificance from their shoulder

Pushed me to my brink

They’re leaving me to sink

Alone

And now they’ve set their sights on you

Your alluring glow So different from me

But still useful

So

Good luck, my friend Count down your final days

For they will be for you, like they were for me

The End.

Artistic Statement

My poem, ‘The Ignorance of Stardust’ was written to portray the relationship between humans and space through the personification of Earth. It is inspired by the observations and beliefs I have in regard to how the Earth is treated by people, as well as humans dismissive, wasteful and selfish

nature. An image from the NASA archives titled ‘The moon’s first quarter phase’ also played a part in inspiring the poem. The photo depicts the moon appearing to be coming out of a shadow, while earth lays below, clouds coating the sky. The clouds signify humans’ blindness to the problems they are causing, ignoring them just because they can. The image also signifies the poem’s mention of humans moving on from the Earth, ignoring the destruction they’re leaving behind to inhabit somewhere new

that has caught their attention. As mentioned previously, the moon appears to be revealing itself after being hidden in the shadows, both symbolising something new for humans to chase as a broadened concept, while also being literal, as humans plan to travel to the moon again. Being hurt by others is a very human thing that everyone can relate to. Humans have a wasteful and dismissive nature.

INTERSTELLAR MINDS

Past the Future By Elijah Eustace

What if

The future has already happened

What if

Everything happens for a reason

Everyone and Everything around you perfectly constructs your choices

Like a simulation

Like clockwork

Every intricate detail placed and picked together

Ups and Downs

Swings and Roundabouts

All lead to the eventual ending,

Your perfect life

Your future wife

Every variable and possible outcome lived out through the Milky Way’s most detailed blueprint

That terrible Boss

That heartbreaking loss

Your gut feeling is the future telling you

what to do,

when to do it,

where to do it

What food to try

What car to buy

But why

What if

The future is out there

In the deep, dark void that is space

The future is encapsulated within the realm

The endless nothingness of this place

Where no one is at the helm

What if

Technology progressed so much where we could intercept the future

Where we could see it and prepare for it

We could tamper it so that life would be suited for everyone

No war

No hunger

No underprivileged

No hatred

But wouldn’t that just defeat the meaning

Of life as a whole

After all, we are just the insignificant dot in the galaxy

Moving closer, and closer, and closer to that eventual end

What if

Everything doesn’t happen for a reason.

And we are the true culprits of our own future

Humanity is always looking to point the finger

But our footprint on the galaxy is tiny

And if we keep living in the past, our footprint won’t linger

The future won’t always look so shiny

But

What if

We broaden our horizon

While we may wizen

Lay down the foundations

To encourage innovation in the future generations

To make our tiny insignificant chapter of existence

The next chapter in this galaxy

What if

We look past the future.

Artistic Statement

What if the future has already happened? What if our conscious was controlling our decisions for a reason? What if technology goes too far? These are the questions that my poem asks and endeavours the logistics of. The image that inspired my poem highlights all the interesting and ominous stars and galaxies that are really out there. Christopher Nolan’s movie Interstellar (2014) gave an inspiring and unique view on space and space travel. His theories and thinking behind the ominous void around us, inspired my idea and fuelled my poem. The picture throws so many questions out to the audience and our job, as humanity, is to answer these questions. But maybe this objective is to pushed upon us as humans too much. We are taught to learn for the future and how to push civilisation further, which is what how we got here in the first place, but never can we celebrate and live in the moment. Such a robotic and uniform system that has mass-produced our humanity, maybe we are just around the corner from the astronomical breakthrough that could help our evolution or maybe… we are just scratching the surface. The message that my poem is trying to deliver is for my generation, and the many more to come, to enjoy the success, learn from the mistakes and embrace the future, not try and force it.

the space inside her

the darkness overtakes her

consuming her light

little by little

every day.

the space inside her grows,

recruiting its army,

increasing its numbers,

poised,

waiting for the perfect time to strike.

and her grandfather,

so beautiful in his own special way,

when her father broke the perfect imperfection of her life back then,

and told her he was no more,

that was when that emptiness,

that space,

entered her, growing for the first time.

one minuscule thought of him,

of his love of Kombi vans, pocket watches, and how he always asked her,

every single time he saw her,

if she still played violin.

and how she wished that she still could now,

because that guilt,

that wretched, sickening guilt

sent fat, salty tears rolling down her cheeks,

like dark storm clouds approaching before a violent unforgiving rain.

it broke her.

just a little though, for she was yet to break in ways she could not imagine.

that day not too long ago,

her father yelling, her

mother crying,

the sounds so dreadful when combined,

like fire waging war with ice,

like sticks waging war with stone.

those sounds so horrific they turned storms into dust,

turned blazing flames into smoking ashes.

those whispers of impossible fantasies,

so delicate like tiny blinks of stars, visible only at night,

they are fragile

so fragile that she is scared they might shatter.

and when they do,

that emptiness

that space inside her

grows.

and him.

every time they grew close enough to touch,

like jupiter catching up to saturn on their orbit of the sun,

they were bound to once again separate.

after that final hug,

the one where he said goodbye for the last time,

just like sand in an hour glass,

gradually accumulating,

that space grew.

yet again.

she sought some sort of relief,

some sort of solution,

some sort of escape.

but that useless, endless searching,

it put space between her,

between her and her parents,

her and her friends,

space between her and her feelings.

before it all became too much

and a wall collapsed inside her,

unleashing something wild.

that build up of space,

the space that wasn’t space,

but a hurricane raging inside her,

twisting her thoughts,

mutating them.

that hurricane, it became too much,

too wild,

too destructive.

like a star exploding,

its surface going up in flames,

her rage erupted.

it erupted.

like ferocious volcanoes on the land she called her home,

it erupted.

until something broke,

when that storm of flames died down,

the embers that remained,

they gave way to the darkness,

the space inside her.

the last piece,

that last glimmer of hope,

surrendered to the darkness.

and just like that,

she gave up.

it ended.

that space inside her,

like the vast openness of the galaxy,

swallowed her up.

she stopped caring.

stopped hurting.

stopped feeling.

her body went numb,

and that in itself,

was the greatest relief of all.

Artistic Statement “The Space Inside Her” is a poem which encompasses not only literal space, but figurative as well. This poem is one about the space inside people; their feelings, their thoughts, fears and dreams. It is a poem about space that is not space. The image which inspired it reminded me of a build up of emotion, specifically anger, in the vast openness that is the mind. This intrigued me, so I then decided to explore the topic on a deeper level, drawing on the experiences of others, as well as my own. I then composed some lines, analogies and descriptions of these scenarios, relating some to space to reiterate the overall theme. After consideration, I also decided the invited reading was about how sometimes, when left without support, the mind can become more dangerous than the world around it. This invited reading was carried throughout the poem, however the ending does not in any way suggest that girl ended her own life. I genuinely wanted the poem to be about the invited reading, and how the girl overcame it by letting go of her feelings and, in some ways, moving on. I attempted to create a somewhat meaningful and heartfelt poem, which I hoped readers related to and could draw on.

Nothing matters up here

it doesn’t matter how I got up here on my paper plane of love we were flying high you and I but pain came r a i n i n g d o w n on us in a hurricane in a storm in a whirl of everything Nothing mattered d o w n there Not until I found you And you hung onto me somehow Pouring love into this black hole full of all this darkness full of all this matter And emotions that apparently didn’t matter You were space A moon lighting the night With stars freckled across your face I was time Never quite right Too fast for some or s l o w for others Our love was space and time meeting together to create the finest point imaginable Not crossing over each other or battling for control we were Collapsing into each other in a speck of nothing before E o g x i p d l n

Your darkness was hard to spot Loving me at night Following me at day Your darkness whispered lies Which slipped out your mouth In cool breaths d o w n my neck I guess I never realised the black hole was you I’d forgotten how stars can only shine in the dark Your gravitational field of lies was so strong The more I fell into what we had it started becoming more

dark and

intense g to the edge of the world with you n i y l I dreamed of f But you plucked my feathers And captured me in a cage of my own pain Poisoning me every time your fingers lingered just too long I am in love with you just as much as I was then But I am so tired of fighting off these swarming demons of doubt in my head That crash in tsunamis of despair each time pain licks my face with handprints Marking me as yours until they disappeared You disappeared Yet at the end of everything I was still nothing I was trying to escape our world Escape was sisyphean but Exploration was not y without being weighted d l o I finally got to f w n by you

Escape nothing and explore up here I thought I could fill the gap left by you up here Find something new up here But nothing matters up here

There is nothing up here Yet it still manages to suffocate me with heavy air Yet it still manages to blanket the entire room until there is no room for light I feel nothing and the weight of it

I feel nothing and its bites that leave no mark As it slowly eats my flesh and tears m e a p a r t And leaves everything empty Like nothing ever happened

Because nothing is what happened to me

Nothing matters up here

Artistic Statement

The poem I have written is called Nothing. The image that inspired me was a combination of the pale blue speck and the sun peaking over the moon. These both inspired it because the pale blue speck shows how small we really are in space and the sun shows what little light we have; without it, there is only the endless nothing of space. My poem Nothing, it about the concept of nothing; whether about feeling like nothing or being in nothing. My poem starts with the person feeling like nothing after many people have come and broken their heart. “pouring love into this black hole” is describing how they feel like nothing (like how a black hole sucks the light from everything so it is nothing) and how the other person must be something so special, that it fills up the black hole instead of collapsing into it. The main people are in an unhealthy relationship further into my poem. There is a sense that the voice inside is telling them that the other person doesn’t care might just be true. Once the person does escape the relationship their fear of nothing comes true. They spend the whole poem dreaming about flying away – in this case to space. However, when they get there, they don’t find anything. Just a world of nothing. They describe how being surrounded by nothing starts to mess with their mind. They thought that after so many heartbreaks they had found something worth looking for (something in space) that would fill up the emptiness inside but as they flew into the universe, the truth that nothing is out there broke them. I wrote this poem to investigate nothing. The concept of nothing could be feeling nothing, being surrounded by nothing or just nothing. Humans can’t believe that there is infinity, we all believe that it has to end somewhere, and a similar concept applies to nothing (which is why solitary confinement is such an effect method of torture).

Background to Anthology

In our current world programmes like STEM are moving forward to become STEAM with the addition of the Arts. This fusion of the arts and science is a growth area and one we took the opportunity to explore in creating an Anthology of Poems on the topic of SPACE for our Year 9 English Project in Term 2. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing this year our class began our project by visiting the Queensland Museum at Southbank and attended the NASA: A Human Adventure exhibition. We then researched SPACE further by working through the NASA archives and even made contact with NASA who wished us well on our project. As part of Science Week we will be distributing copies of our Anthology for free. Included in the Anthology are the images which have inspired our work. Our poems explore the perspectives of astronauts, other planets and of us on Earth.

9E are:

Albin Biju, Evie Cadman, Martine Carroll, Angelina Chakkamkunnel, Isabella Chen, Divyang Chovatia, Samuel Cobcroft, Sarah Dreiling, Elijah Eustace, Amber Everett-Jones, Alexandra Hassall, Daniel Ho, Jack Howie, Chelsea Hutchinson, Marcus Koo, Sophie Ley-Hornsey, Mathilda Lovejoy, Callum Lyons, Willa McGuiness, Lillian McNaughton, Merek Modini, Kellyn Nguyen, Tony Nguyen, Matilda Raison,

Delvin Shibu, Katrina Wang, Millie Wesley, Millie Williams