Killester
Shared Stories
On Wednesday the 1st of December a group of 21 students from Year 7-12 celebrated becoming published authors and artists within the "Shared Stories Anthology" In 2021. This year the theme was "Chasing Happiness". A virtual launch was held this year due to covid19 and speakers included Harry Garside, the Olympic boxer and ballet dancer and Tom Boyd, who spoke about mental health and wellbeing. Fuamai Hunt in Year 12 was also awarded the Hornet Press Award and we thank Rhea Fernandez for reading her poem so beautifully during the virtual opening. The Anthology makes up part of the Victorian State library collection and the National library collection in Canberra. All writing and visual artwork was produced at Killester, either in English, Visual Art and Visual Communication Design classes or within the Shared Stories Creatives co-curricular lunchtime group. You can follow Shared Stories on:
Instagram handle: @sharedstories1
and the website, which will be updated before Christmas:
http://www.sharedstoriesanthology.org/
Year 12
Keera Chapman
Tristina Pham
Fuamai Hunt (Awarded the Hornet Press Award)
Gina Lam
Year 11
Arushee Padmanabhan
Keisha Huynh
Kyley Nguyen
Angie Chan Yai Ching
Year 10
Ella Fulco
Cathy Ma
Taylah Huynh
Christine Thai
Tran Vo
Year 9
Airin Vinod
Year 8
Ariel Singh
Alessia Ferrazzola
Rithika Jaison
Ala Wazeer
Haley Nguyen
Year 7
Rhea Fernandez
Athikroth Khun
Here are the published works -
What makes life worth living
Keera Chapman
Year 12, Killester College
As humans, we spend a great deal of time looking for happiness. For a number of us, our sole objective is to find that contentment, where if we fall ill tomorrow, there's a sense of everlasting peace that a good life was lived. I can't speak for everyone when I say this but in reflecting on this ‘happiness’ I want in life, I always viewed it as something that would be fulfilled by a university degree, a future spouse, children, and a career— things instilled from childhood that represent a very standard ‘perfect’ life. While all of those sound amazing, I’ve come to realise that happiness can be so much simpler than that. To me, happiness is the ability to find gratitude in the littlest things in life. Simple things I may not always savour but things that make my life a whole lot richer. It’s rewatching my favourite movies and quoting them all the way through. Cackles and teary-eyed laughs I share with my friends at lunch. How mum's face lights up when I come home from school and greet her with a big embrace. Waking up and realising it's Saturday. The smiles I share with strangers on long walks and the exchange of a quick ‘How's it going?’ while crossing paths. There are lots of little things throughout the day to be happy about.
I've found that happiness is only complicated if I make it that way. There are so many things to be worried about, but there are twice as many to be happy about. I may worry about the future, what it holds day to day, but I can find happiness in the support of my friends and family, happiness that I had wonderful memories to look back on.
I ask you to truly reflect on those small things you are so fortunate to have and experience. At times things might seem bleak, but chasing happiness is not as hard as it seems. While all feelings are important and valid, happiness is what makes life worth living.
Tristina Pham
Year 12, Killester College
‘Sensory’
Despite being brought up in a busy urban environment, nature has always been my source of comfort and inspiration as it never fails to bring me back to the present and away from my overactive mind. 'Sensory' aims to remind us of the way we are enveloped by nature with its love and healing qualities. This is expressed through the intimate interaction of the hand and the delicate Chrysanthemum as it submerges in water, the essence of life.
Fuamai Hunt
Year 12 - Killester College
‘You exist in my paradise’
I portray my happiness through the view of my late mother’s smile. Seeing your mother happy makes the child happy, that is a universal understanding that I never got to experience. Using only pink oil pastels for the face to represent affection a mother would give to her children, makes up for what I lacked in life. The background writing is a poem that my oldest sister, Linda Hunt, wrote in university following my mothers death. The poem is about my perspective of my mother’s death, how I have to deal and live with the fact that I have no mum, and a future reflection of how I’m afraid of forgetting her. The decaying frame represents reality; no matter what situation you may be in, time still moves on. As time continues my memory of my mum smiling fades, and despite that having a mum in my life is still something I wish I could have but can only dream for in my paradise.
Having someone to love gives purpose to our memories and moments in life. Therefore having purpose gives life meaning and value, allowing us to experience happiness from obtaining such valuable and meaningful things in life. However the absence of a loved one defeats that purpose, leaving an individual to only dream about a world with them in it. For now while my mother is patiently waiting for me, continue to smile while you watch me — till we meet again in paradise.
‘Icarus’
Gina Lam
Year 12 Killester College
It’s calling for him. Beckoning him.
The wind, it’s calling to his soul; singing not a sweet serenade that lulls him to sleep at night, but a fierce howl in his ears, a piercing cry that summons him impatiently into its embrace. The waves, it’s eager and restless, booming against the rocks and earth incessantly; stomping a methodic rhythm that reverberates deep into his core, aggravating his heart to beat until it breaks out of his ribcage. The sky, its blues promise freedom and infinity, and it taunts him with the sun’s beauty. It looms over his head and torments him, dangling temptation that he could never reach, continually seducing him with its warm caress on his skin and its glimmering bright light. He yearns. His being yearns. His soul yearns. Aching and hoping, hungering and itching to have it in his grasp.
His father frowns at him and roars him awake as disapproval clouds his age-weary face like a thundering storm. His father demands him to stop his dreaming and stop his hoping, warning him that he will lose himself in his delusion, but blood pumps through his veins wildly, limbs twitching and shuddering as it awaits the day he shatters this golden cage. Still, he bows his head before his father and bites his lips shut.
In his dream, a scintillating star reaches out to him, ensnaring him with its sweltering touch and crooning for him to surrender himself; his mind, his heart, his being, his soul. When he opens his eyes, the mild warmth is still there on his skin, tiny wisps clinging to him as it coaxes him to move outside. The earth beneath his foot hums in anticipation as he walks, the wind once again purring in his ears as it beckons him, the waves greeting him animatedly, and the sun and sky gazing expectantly down at him.
The rocks and harsh dirt stab into the vulnerable sole of his foot, but he hardly registers it over the vociferous beat of his heart, pulsing in anticipation as he approaches the edge of the cliff. The seagulls gawk and circle overhead, wings flapping up and down as it navigates the boundless sky. He had always envied those birds, jealous of their feathered limbs. Fear and apprehension washes away when he closes his eyes and breathes in, the smell of crisp Spring and earthy leaves entering his lungs, mixed with hints of honeyed flowers and scent of fresh waters.
It’s all waiting for him, calling out to him, inviting him. His body trembles like feathers quivering into place, he flexes his palms and straightens himself, bringing his arms out widely as if he’s finally responding to its lure.
His heart stirs, breath shaky as he inhales in. Then, he opens his eyes and unhesitatingly leapt, soaring into the clutch of the empyrean.
Finally.
He has been longing for this gift; the dulcet freedom which unraveled his shackles. He never felt more real and alive until today, core thrumming like a stampede of bulls as the air elevates him higher and higher. Finally, the brilliant sun and crystal sky is within reach.
He inhales sharply and grins, eyes luminous with happiness, and he lets himself succumb to it, allowing it to embrace him, his being, his mind and his soul. Finally.
To have such violent delights...
He shudders as it once again calls out to him, beckoning him, summoning him. Now, he’s unafraid, he has the sun and sky in his grasp. He releases a sigh, smiles and lets himself go.
Propitiously, falling feels like flying.
Haley Nguyen
Year 8 , Killester College, Springvale
‘Looking at the Labyrinth’
This cat is staring at something, expectantly, out of frame, just out of reach. Much like how we chase happiness, it's right there yet we can't catch it, we can only see it. The darkness in the background of the artwork emphasises the endless quest of running toward this compelling feeling.
Ala Wazeer
Year 8, Killester College
‘Far Away’
When I got left behind no one was there for me.
And when the sunset is here I want to get away.
A room filled with crowds is not where I am.
I sit alone.
Alone in no crowded rooms.
Why should I cry, why should I weep.
This is just how I want to be.
Don’t search for me, not even a little.
Don’t pretend, Don’t look.
After you see me you’ll be unhooked.
I know I won’t be missed, so leave me alone.
This is a path I choose.
It’s how life is once we live it.
Just leave me alone, and you will be a whole.
It’s just how I am, just how I want it.
I’m fine with being alone, so don’t ask it.
Don’t question me and don’t care about me.
Because I am fine on my own
Being Alone.
Go with your friends.
Have a great time.
Just don’t let me come into your mind.
Burry your own worries in others, everyone except me.
I want to be alone
Alone in just my degree.
That is all that I plea.
‘Pure Bliss’
Airin Vinod
Year 9, Killester College
The tingle of sunbeams on your face
So lovely
The thrill of infectious laughter
So exhilarating
The smell of pristine books
So enchanting
The warmth of a gentle smile
So serene
The sense of elation when Friday comes
So full of spirit
The sighting of a double rainbow
So breathtaking
The taste of your favourite comfort food
So rewarding
The excitement of capturing the perfect shot
So delightful
The joy of singing in the shower
So liberating
The aura when you’re “in the zone”
So gratifying
This is the feeling of pure bliss...
Christine Thai
Year 10, Killester College
‘Home’
It was scorching, sweat dripped down my forehead as my feet ached and begged for rest as we walked through a wasteland of sand. My eyes dragged themselves to look towards my brother, Doran. Despite his less sluggish appearance compared to me, it was clear he wasn’t holding up any better than I am.
Seeing this, I said “Brother, we have been travelling since light broke on the horizon. Perhaps rest is in order-“, “No, we aren’t too far off from the city. Resting wouldn’t be much of a benefit to us now. Besides, were you not the one who requested we visit the sand dunes of Mainshore? I would’ve appreciated the cooler weather of Windrift, but as the ever caring brother I am, here we are, under the beating sun travelling through the desert to fulfil my dearest sister's wishes' ' he teases.
I refused to even acknowledge his condescending statement, as I knew he was wearing that familiar, damned smile he puts on whenever he patronises me.
“It's not as if I don't want to see the dunes anymore, I still very much do. I am simply offering the option to rest...based on how dishevelled you look”. “Disheveled? We must see a doctor as soon as we arrive in town, the sun has ruined your vision Nessa”, mumbling, “ever the infuriating brother” is how I end our banter.
We spent the rest of our journey in silence, except for the sand crunching beneath our shoes and the occasional jingle of our luggage. It was dusk by the time we arrived in Starkbowl, the capital of Mainshore, and night by the time we had settled in our room at the inn.
Doran excused himself to shower, and as he did so I decided to examine the room. It was quaint, simple furniture, with sparse decorations, everything we expected as seasoned travellers. I sat down on a wooden seat by the window, closing my eyes and reflecting on the past months we had spent travelling.
…That’s what we are, travellers, going from one place to the next, wherever our hearts desire. Chasing that unquenchable want to discover, explore, wander. Creating memories and ingraining views and knowledge of various nations into our minds. Their non-identical cuisines, architecture, and cultures.
But I must admit, our constant ins and outs of countries have been leaving me feeling confused, and homesick recently. But, where was home? I seek adventure, but my heart has started to fancy the feeling of nationalism and a consistent place to return to at the end of each day...
I jolted as a bird's call disturbed my thoughts. Blinking haphazardly, I readjusted myself, right, we’re in Mainshore now. I took a deep breath, as my senses came back to me. The soft rug under my feet, the feeling of the stiff chair, and the sound of water hitting tile from the room over.
Doran, my older brother by 3 years, is family. We’ve stuck together through thick and thin, we’ve seen and travelled beyond even the wildest of imaginations we would come up with as children. He's truly been the only constant in my life, ever since spending our days at home as kids to leaving our family and home behind to travel the world together. Our personalities are different, vastly so, sometimes I question if we truly were raised under the same roof by the same people...but we share the similar need for adventure.
My heavy sigh reached my ears as I stretched and leaned back once more into the chair.
I suppose our constant chase for the happiness and adrenaline we find in uncovering new memories and visiting new lands will not bother me for now. Because I can reassure myself that, as long as we are by each other’s side, no matter where we are, we shall always find a home in each other.
Kyley Nguyen
Year 11, VCD Killester College
‘ Foundational Beginning’
This artwork represents my dream to study architecture once I finish school. The construction tools displayed hold a deeper meaning of how everyone has the tools in their 'starter kits' to put their minds to anything they want to achieve - both mentally and physically. Those tools amount to the foundation laid out in order to reach your goals; just as any construction needs a foundational blueprint and tools to build a building such as a home.
Taylah Huynh
Yr 10, Killester College
‘Nurturing Nature’
My artwork ‘Nurturing Nature’ stemmed from my thoughts on the human impacts on animals and their habitats. Looking at the man-made creations, I sometimes think about how humans interfere with the living environments of animals in ways where we try to support them, but also destroy and compromise their homes. Our society strives to evolve, as well as to preserve the environment around us, however these wants are sometimes sacrificed in order to satisfy the other party's goals.
Cathy Ma
Year 10, Killester College
‘The Big Cat Told Me’
Lonely and burnt out, staring at the lulling robotic glow of the computer screen. Finding comfort and contentment in what seems like isolation is what this piece depicts - a chase of happiness that opens up to otherworldly realms & whimsical lands. Outside the thick glass box of negative connotations to games, it has taught many of us the art of escape. Suddenly some of us are able to be surrounded by towering dinosaurs, strange cats & faraway cities. Through the numbing hum of a running computer, I’m able to chase happiness in other worlds, free from limitations of this one - that’s what the big cat told me.
Arushee Padmanabhan
Year 11 , Killester College, Springvale
‘Welcoming Change’
“Welcoming Change” is about letting go of conventionality and embracing uncertainty. I have always struggled with accepting the notion of change. The idea of change has always been so incredibly daunting and unnerving to me. Over the past year, however, change has been almost inescapable and because of this I found that I was mostly frustrated, exhausted and constantly yearning for even just a fleeting moment of the ordinary. But with time, I came to realise that the only way to truly overcome my unease about change is to accept the inevitability of change. Although I am by no means completely accepting of the uncertainty of life, simply paving the path for becoming more accepting makes me very proud. Accordingly, this artwork can be seen as a celebration of the irregularity and unpredictability that imbues life.
‘Isle of the Lost’
Athikroth Khun
Year 7 , Killester College
“I got a good job, a lovely wife and a brilliant son, but why don’t I feel satisfied? Do I have to become Prime Minister to please myself!” Cedar sighed sarcastically, as the gentle breeze and reeds of the hill tried to comfort him, as he read the daily newspaper. It mostly contained general reports, advertisements for small business, crosswords and submitted pieces of art. Today was a special day, since the general reports brought up the topic of an urban legend being proved true by some interesting sources.
That urban legend is about the Isle of the Lost. The Isle of the Lost has various treasures, like cicadas made of gold, or bronze grandfather clocks, making up the base. The place where anything lost could be found, even abstract objects, they’re simply stored in jars crafted by mischievous fairies. It’s codswallop, nonsense, it’s just an urban legend spun by a sole, sorrowful soul, so why did this awaken the dormant spark in Cedar’s hollow heart? With pure yet suppressed desperation, he trotted quickly to a nearby marketplace, returning with a beaten kayak, lotus chips and a chewy, coconut bit covered, silkworm cassava cake.
Waves quivered and the sun hid, as Cedar hauled the rented kayak to the bay’s dock, with feeble limbs somewhat aching, but his hollow heart aching more. With a splash and a hop, Cedar was paddling away with a slight shimmer in his tawny-brown eyes, focused onto the hidden horizon. As the pale, turquoise ocean shifted into a muddy, seafoam green, humongous, jagged rocks guarded a blurry island-looking shape, causing Cedar to steer his kayak around them. Since his arms were weak from rowing before, the attempt proved pathetic, and the waves thrust him into the ring of rocks that battered him around wildly. Every wave that slashed him was an assault to all the senses, the moist, seaweed tinged with salt, offended his taste buds, eyes and nose. Creaking sounds from the wobbly kayak, and the splinters that scratch him, insulted his ears and skin. In the middle of the chaos that is his plain blouse and airborne splinters, a fearful and timorous Cedar tried to get a steady grip on the oar, to bat himself free from the dizzying cycle.
After a while, the dizziness ceased, but Cedar saw a fantastical sight in front of him that felt like a wishful illusion, perhaps the dizziness hadn’t ceased. When he adjusted his eyes to the stinging sea water in them, he saw what was lying before him, clearer than day;the Isle of the Lost. It was barely recognizable by the fabled treasures hidden beneath the rubble of garbage, like jade-necklaces or medieval novels. Without hesitation, Cedar carefully scoured the isle, spotting the treasures everyone was raving about in the market: glass board, obsidian mirrors, riches galore; but he didn’t feel the folks’ spirit himself. Utterly defeated, he slumped onto the garbage and buried himself in his lap, lost in his own mind, crying.
“Nothing makes sense anymore, everything I’ve lost should be found here! I went on this wild goose chase for this heap of trash, when I could’ve been working!” After wallowing in despair, he picked himself up so he could find the kayak, presumably now debris and destroyed. As he travelled deeper into the isle’s heart, he tried making sense of the fact that all the treasures he’d seen were interesting, but upon closer inspection, had no value, or fake replicas and copies. He eventually found the intact kayak, due to its alder-red wood, and decided to energise himself with the various snacks he brought, now scattered inside the lopsided and crooked kayak. Dormant sparks began to flicker fiercely and vigorously, as he merrily nibbled at his childhood food, confused why something so ‘unimportant’ felt so pleasing. As he leaned onto a colourful, yet traditional totem pole nearby, he put the pieces of the puzzle together. He learned the isle is literally an amalgamation or pile of garbage, only slightly littered by some interesting items, which he planned on gifting to his wife and son, as an excuse for being late. Alongside solving the mystery of the isle or pile as he now calls it, he also solved a mystery about himself.
“It’s funny now that I think about everything, being a salesman I shouldn’t have been so naive. That variant of fear I felt, it had a bit of joy in it, it’s excitement or adrenalin. I’ve always known that a thing can’t give you happiness, but happiness isn’t a physical thing you can completely lose. It’s always there, probably buried deep inside, it just needs to be found,” he thought to himself, hoisting himself up to pry the kayak from a wedge between two rocks. With souvenirs like a dragon-themed kite, squeezed into the kayak, and the spark glowing comfortably in Cedar’s chest, he left the isle with a single, small, smile.
Keisha Huynh
Year 11, Killester College, Springvale
‘Finding Congruence’
This artwork was an ode to my Chinese heritage, the dragon being symbolic of that. It represents the disconnection from my Chinese background, having immigrant parents, you can feel the wall between the different cultures. Yet in that division, you find self acceptance and appreciation for the cultures that make up who I am.
Angie Chan Yai Ching
Year 11, Killester College, Springvale
'My Equilibrium'
“Equilibrium - Balance is essential, especially now, in our fast-paced, materialistic, modern society. Balance, where simplicity and natural beauty meets elegance and sophistication, a harmonious mix… is pure happiness
Ella Fulco
Year 10, Killester College, Springvale
‘Finding the light’
Rhea Fernandez
Year 7
Killester College
‘The Earth’
The oasis of the void,
In all it’s beauty, behold,
A story of creation,
Of change, of war,
Of peace, unfold,
A future of wonders
And beauty,
Destruction untold,
This planet is my home,
Changing biomes,
And all.
Tran Vo
Year 10
Killester College
‘Strange cats’
Time is slow, time is slow;
Time is slow, and I am slow.
I feel like I am slower than all my friends,
And definitely all my peers (my teachers say so),
And now I’ve lost all sight of where I’m meant to go.
And suddenly, I’m in the desert!
And I feel the hot grains of sand beneath my soles,
they slip from my feet, as time does from my hands
Even if I hold it over a bowl!
And suddenly I’m in my bedroom
A guitar to my right, a paintbrush to my left.
A notebook by my side, perhaps writing is what I do best.
Or maybe it’s art, or perhaps glass, or maybe it’s candles & green wax, Maybe my hands were made to hold a fine brush and an axe!
Digging up the remains of lost cities and lost friends,
Who probably knew better than me what to do in the end.
Perhaps my hands are better off trying to help,
Offering words of comfort, or bringing an end to disease,
Finding undiscovered stars,
Or echoing voices and taking the lead.
Am I to answer the big questions my own way,
Or listen to God, those holy words & holy names.
Am I really meant to walk my own path, or should I just play someone else’s game? Well, not really someone else’s game, that’s a bit mean,
They’re only trying to help
With what they know and what they’ve seen.
But I’m tired, I'm lost.
I’m both scared and cross.
And suddenly I’m in a field!
Rolling plains, green hills, and swaying grass,
Trees that dance to the beat of dropping pine cones
Maybe that’s just what I should do at last.
I look to my left, and next to me, I see this strange cat.
He has an old camera, and a yellow stone, and a shriveled cotton rat. He asks me what I’m going to do, and I know I can’t answer that. So I ask him instead, ‘what are you meant to do in this life, strange talking cat?’ He tells me, ‘nothing.’ And I look at him in disbelief, eyes wide & tall How can he be on this planet, with no purpose or path at all?
He tells me his path lead him to this field, where he now sits and sees
All the beauty & green around him, and does whatever he please
He says there are more of them, just like him,
Wandering and searching but not necessarily lost,
He tells me, not all people who wander are missing,
For they’ll always have their own natural slot.
The slot carved out for them lies in this very field,
Where they stay, and search for nuts to eat, until they’ve all healed.
But even then, if they want, they can stay,
For a life with purpose does not mean a life running away.
He states, there is no end mission to complete,
No divine fate for you and me.
We were put here, to simply be,
To fill ourselves with art & love,
To see all we can see.
To try as many or as little things as we wish to, for there is no singular plan, But to simply exist, & feel, & eat all that we can.
He says I’m welcome to stay, and when I wish, I can leave.
Or stay forever, there’s no rush if that’s what I please.
‘There’s no place or person you are ‘meant’ to be’ he notes,
As he looks at the dancing trees,
‘Let yourself simply exist with a quiet or loud ease.’
Maybe I should listen to him, he seems a bit right.
Maybe I’ll just let my headrest down for tonight,
For I am not the shriveled rat, nor am I the white mice.
Maybe I will I suppose, as I feel the grass on my palms, flourishing & sweet Maybe tomorrow, I’ll wake up, and I’ll find that my hands were made just that day, To simply find delicious nuts to eat.
