{"id":2814,"date":"2022-09-01T16:40:13","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thequeensreadingroom.co.uk\/?p=2814"},"modified":"2022-09-01T16:40:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:40:17","slug":"the-waters-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thequeensreadingroom.co.uk\/the-waters-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020 – Actions Speak Louder, by Cassandra Nguyen, Junior Winner, aged 13 from Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We all wrote letters,<\/p>\n

5 paragraphs<\/p>\n

550 words,<\/p>\n

our teacher mailed them off,<\/p>\n

sent overseas<\/p>\n

to people who never read them,<\/p>\n

people who would never listen.<\/p>\n

We were told these letters would help,= that<\/p>\n

animals would return to their homes,= that<\/p>\n

trees would flourish,<\/p>\n

that water would flow<\/p>\n

clear and blue as the morning sky.<\/p>\n

But I knew this wouldn\u2019t help,<\/p>\n

not with our success measured by a grade= a<\/p>\n

percentage on a piece of paper,<\/p>\n

and not by the impact<\/p>\n

and the power our words had.<\/p>\n

Our paragraphs filled with pleas for change=<\/p>\n

would fall on deaf ears<\/p>\n

we are just kids to them,<\/p>\n

kids too young and helpless<\/p>\n

to make a difference<\/p>\n

to do anything but speak<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

that day at school, saying<\/p>\n

we wanted change<\/p>\n

but really just wanting the mark.<\/p>\n

I sat in a car<\/p>\n

speeding along the countryside,<\/p>\n

heading back home,<\/p>\n

gazing listlessly out the window<\/p>\n

when I saw something,<\/p>\n

a lone deer<\/p>\n

standing atop a great pile of rubble<\/p>\n

stone, broken concrete, shattered glass,<\/p>\n

and whatever else man has left there to replace<\/p>\n

looming elms, rustling maples, draping willows.<\/p>\n

I called out and pointed at it to my family<\/p>\n

who broke out into excited chatter<\/p>\n

and amazement<\/p>\n

at the sight<\/p>\n

of this creature.<\/p>\n

I looked into those large eyes<\/p>\n

a brilliant auburn<\/p>\n

but petrified<\/p>\n

looking out<\/p>\n

at me<\/p>\n

with pain<\/p>\n

and confusion.<\/p>\n

I felt my heart shatter<\/p>\n

I wanted to scream<\/p>\n

that it wasn\u2019t me<\/p>\n

who took their home and their family, who<\/p>\n

left him standing on a mound of rubble,<\/p>\n

never to be cared for by anyone<\/p>\n

but it was<\/p>\n

I was silent<\/p>\n

I thought of the letter<\/p>\n

as just an assignment<\/p>\n

and nothing more<\/p>\n

nothing that could actually mean something<\/p>\n

or change anything<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

They never wrote back<\/p>\n

maybe never even read them<\/p>\n

maybe tossed them out<\/p>\n

like any other useless piece of paper, but<\/p>\n

it was time to stop this.<\/p>\n

Empty words<\/p>\n

would never help,<\/p>\n

they made you feel good at the moment<\/p>\n

thinking you\u2019ve done something great<\/p>\n

only to realize the impact you\u2019ve made is<\/p>\n

nonexistent.<\/p>\n

I may be young<\/p>\n

but I can do something,<\/p>\n

something beyond just talking because<\/p>\n

words without actions<\/p>\n

are empty<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

but they didn\u2019t help anyone not<\/p>\n

the deer by the road<\/p>\n

not any animal or forest. Maybe<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t help that deer but I<\/p>\n

can change something<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

Most forgot about them afterward<\/p>\n

But not me<\/p>\n

I smile at a mother with 2 young children<\/p>\n

as I hand them a pumpkin<\/p>\n

and a bag of beans<\/p>\n

fresh,<\/p>\n

organic<\/p>\n

Grown at the school<\/p>\n

In the garden I\u2019d created<\/p>\n

Combatting pesticide usage<\/p>\n

by supporting organic local food<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t protesting or rallying<\/p>\n

or even making a public speech<\/p>\n

but this is my way to help<\/p>\n

my way to fight using my actions<\/p>\n

using my actions to influence others to do the same I<\/p>\n

know that every bill in my hand<\/p>\n

will go to<\/p>\n

a better world for all<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

but I didn\u2019t stop there<\/p>\n

Coming back from school I<\/p>\n

noticed a small plot of land<\/p>\n

for the first time<\/p>\n

I saw the murky waters<\/p>\n

with pieces of plastic drifting about<\/p>\n

I felt the rough bark of dying trees<\/p>\n

beneath my fingers<\/p>\n

I heard the silent voices<\/p>\n

of all the animals<\/p>\n

who used to call this place home So<\/p>\n

I started fundraising donation after<\/p>\n

donation<\/p>\n

slowly building up<\/p>\n

to enough to start restoring<\/p>\n

this lost paradise<\/p>\n

tree by tree<\/p>\n

volunteer by volunteer<\/p>\n

hour by hour<\/p>\n

the land returned<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

but the paper in my hand now<\/p>\n

is different<\/p>\n

it doesn\u2019t feel worthless and superficial it<\/p>\n

feels priceless and appreciated<\/p>\n

because every dollar goes<\/p>\n

to charity<\/p>\n

and together we will make<\/p>\n

our voices heard<\/p>\n

even without saying a word<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

I can almost feel the paper in my hand the<\/p>\n

leaf is smooth and waxy<\/p>\n

but now it\u2019s different<\/p>\n

now it means something<\/p>\n

I watch as<\/p>\n

a chipmunk scurries up the bark<\/p>\n

of a huge maple tree<\/p>\n

one that I planted there<\/p>\n

3 years ago<\/p>\n

I glance down at the fallen leaf in my palm<\/p>\n

what a beautiful color<\/p>\n

auburn<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

but I started growing<\/p>\n

We all wrote letters<\/p>\n

but I restored the land<\/p>\n

The letters did nothing<\/p>\n

But our actions did,<\/p>\n

and I will keep fighting<\/p>\n

because I know<\/p>\n

that actions<\/p>\n

speak<\/p>\n

louder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nQueen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020 - Actions Speak Louder, by Cassandra Nguyen, Junior Winner, aged 13 from Canada - The Queen's Reading Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thequeensreadingroom.co.uk\/the-waters-rise\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020 - Actions Speak Louder, by Cassandra Nguyen, Junior Winner, aged 13 from Canada - 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