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Coil

Life is a coil around my throat; which spirals ever tighter

Sometimes it gets so tight I can’t breathe and all I want to do is scream but my screams are smothered by a thick blanket called society

And sometimes that blanket presses the coil into my skin, digging and digging until I can’t breathe

And it’s not my fault when the coil leaves the marks

It’s not me pressing the coil into my pretty skin

It’s not me tracing lines of red into my skin, crisscrossing patterns that will each become a mocking voice in my already chaotic head

It’s not me digging deeper into every line until I think I am going to go through my arm

But it is me who makes that final line, the one that’s even deeper than all the rest

And it’s me who closes my eyes, as that blanket finally merges that constricting coil into my skin

And that breath I’ve been waiting to take my entire life, is the most delicious breath

But alas, it is the only one I take

By Tahlia Briody, 15 

Dedicated to my dear friend, whose coil became too tight

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Warmth

Wanted

Just listening to you breathe and speak is like fuel for my heartbeat

Your voice over the phone affects me physically even though you can’t be here with me

Learning

I haven’t found words of my own to tell you how I feel so I borrow lyrics

I learnt a new song just to sing for you

Hopeful

The past few months had me pulled down, and now like a spring I jump at the fun of freedom

It’s wild, manic, and full of hopeful joy

Warmth

That sacred space against your chest and between your arms

Held tightly and safely

By Marley Rocha, 19 

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Students from Wodonga Senior Secondary College reflect on their weeklong writing intensive with author Alice Pung.

Stella Intensives are week-long programs delivered in schools by visiting writers, designed to spark ideas, stimulate creativity and build self-confidence. Find out more.

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“Hating yourself is a waste of time, be kind and gentle to yourself instead. I know you like punk music but please keep an open mind and don't attach too much of your identity to the things you like (or judge other people for their taste). Stay in touch with the people you care about. Trust your gut. Save some money. Eat more fruit. Take your time.”

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Brodie Lancaster’s advice to her teenage self 

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“Don't be so hard on yourself - you're doing much better than you think. (But try to stress a little less.) Remember that being happy is more important than being successful, and that external success can't make you happy. Don't feel like you have to compromise yourself to make people like you. Stay weird. Be kind. Enjoy your life. Not much else matters.”

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Steph Bowe’s advice to her teenage self

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“Do not take your girlfriends for granted. The opinions of teenage boys are worthless, so quit worrying about them. Be nice to your mother. Spend time with the family cat. Remember that regardless of countries visited, books read or classes aced, you're not better than anyone else, so don't be a snobby little shit. Don't freak out when your boyfriend says that thing to you in the car – it will become one of your life's greatest punchlines. Hang out with your sister as much as you can. Take photos of your friends. Try to memorise the texture of this time of your life. Trust yourself.”

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Sam George-Allen’s advice to her teenage self 

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“It’s okay that you don’t seem to fit in anywhere (no-one really does). Finish your science degree. Keep writing. Use more Chinese in your writing. Don’t be afraid to speak truth to power.

You are stronger than you think you could ever be. You have a powerful voice: use it. You never know who might be listening.”

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Yen-Rong Wong’s advice to her teenage self

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“Dear 15-year old Bri. Right now it seems like the end-of-the-world that boys don't like you, but they're such a monumental waste of time. Keep playing the clarinet! Stop hate-watching Victoria's Secret re-runs on YouTube at 1am! Start keeping a diary as soon as you can, so that you might exorcise some of that self-loathing out from your skull and tread a little lighter. I'm proud of you, and I think you'd be proud of me.”

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Bri Lee’s advice to her teenage self

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A reflection on Girls Write Up, Melbourne

Empowering, eye-opening and moving are a few words I would use to describe my experience at the Stella’s Girls Write Up on Thursday. Each speaker brought a different element of change to consider and adapt to our ever-growing society. The day consisted of things from inspiring women talking about misogyny in the workspace, to teens unpacking large-scale issues through slam poetry. Within the day, it was as if a small community was created that worked together to strive for racial and gender equality for generations to come.

By Eden from Alice Miller School

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A reflection on Girls Write Up, Melbourne

When I lay in bed at night, struggling to fall into the embrace of sleep, I often end up thinking about the moments that have changed my life and defined me as a person. While this may not be the best idea to lull yourself to sleep, as it does tend to lead to incredulous existentialist questions like, what does this all mean and why are we here? What is the point? This is often where I find my mind wandering to.

The first moment is undoubtedly my Dad’s death. Horrible as it has been, it has shaped the person I have become and taught me to care and appreciate the people in my life a lot more. Another huge one was moving to the school I am currently at, meeting so many incredible people and learning to feel safe. School is difficult nonetheless, but this one is an incredibly special place. Now, I think the Stella’s Girls Write Up must also be added to this list. The morning of the event, I woke up and immediately a wave of anxiety crashed into my chest, but I fought through it, utterly determined to go. I don’t think I’ve ever been so determined to go to an event before. As soon as I got there and the first speaker began her presentation I felt safe, welcomed, at home almost. I felt as if there was a space for me and I could be anyone I wanted to be. I could be myself, and that there is hope for the world and for my own life. I can not remember the last time I felt like that. The day was truly profound for me, it opened my eyes to so much and made me think about things in a way I never had before. But most of all, it made me feel like I could be myself, like maybe I would be okay, like I had a place in this world I belonged and like I could fight to do what I wanted. I have always been a quiet person, never really feeling like I could speak up or stand up for myself. But the day after the Stella Girls Write Up I did exactly that, I stood up for myself. Even my teacher congratulated me afterwards and told me it had made his day. I felt guilty afterwards, like I should have just apologised — apologised for existing, for taking up space, for not being able to cope with the world quite as well as the majority of people seem to — but I didn’t, and it made me feel so much stronger. This may not seem like a huge deal, and I suppose on the scale of things, it isn’t. But for me in my life, it is a really huge step forward and for the first time in an incredibly long time, I feel like maybe, just maybe I will be okay. I can do something.

By Louise from Alice Miller School

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Gender inequality and the pay gap speech

Have you ever wondered, has it ever crossed your mind that we live in such an unfair world? We live in a world where women get paid less than men. We live in a world where a woman’s views and opinions are frowned upon. I wholeheartedly believe that women need equal pay and an equal voice. Feminism is a political movement that aims to create a society where women and men have the SAME rights and the SAME opportunities, and we are NOT THERE YET. In fact, I believe we still have a whole heap of work to do.

First off, women get paid less than men. They also get offered more part-time and casual work than men. We as women will earn far less than men during our working lives. In fact, the average gender pay gap is 16 percent. That means that on average, men will earn $260 more than what women will earn PER WEEK. And this is for women who work in the SAME JOB as men. So, a female engineer will earn 16 percent less than a male engineer. Just for BEING a woman. Research shows that women in Australia are A THIRD more likely to enter university than men. Women are also more likely to graduate. Yet, they still earn less than men. The largest group of retirees living in poverty are single women. Why should the financial strategy of a woman be based on the earning capacity of the man she might marry? Why should we have to settle for that? It makes absolutely NO SENSE AND THIS MUST CHANGE!

Sure, there are reasons why women will earn less than men. First off, women typically work less paid hours than men. We are attracted to and interested in jobs that just happen to pay less than the jobs men choose. But my question is this: Why do female-dominated industries happen to pay lower than male-dominated industries? It is because society values our work less than the work of men.

We need to change the way people think. We need men and women to respect, if not value the work that women do. Female-dominated industries are just as important as male-dominated industries. Most teachers are women, and without them there wouldn’t be smart men in the world. A truck driver earns more than a child care worker. A builder earns more than a nurse. Why do we accept this? And let's not even talk about the unpaid work women do.

Did you know that 5000 companies were asked to investigate the reasons for gender inequality in their workplace? Of those 5000 companies, only 25 percent took up the challenge. Of those workplaces, only 2 percent went on to make ACTUAL CHANGES. That's right. They know what's wrong, but they choose to do NOTHING. Within 10 years, some of us in this room will be WORKING for these companies.

Change is needed, but it is taking too long.

At the current rate, our granddaughters will still live in an unfair world. That's TWO generations away. The task of feminism is NOT finished. Women need equal pay. They need an equal voice and we are NOT THERE YET. You might be sitting there thinking that we have already come a long way, and I fully agree with you. We are no longer housebound. We have the right to own property. We have the right to vote. We have the privilege of an education. I am not asking you all to devote the rest of your lives to activism, nor am I asking you to become professional public speakers. All I ask is for you to have the courage to stand up whenever and wherever you can make a difference for gender equality. Gender inequality is wrong. Gender inequality is evil. And all it takes for evil to prosper is for good men and women to do nothing.

By Madeline, 14 years old

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Blood Hounds

Warm fuzz, damp room haunted by nostalgia both young and old, she sits, does nothing but sit in the suffocating gloom. Oppressed by the power of the bald.

The sameness of men has done this to her. Their suits each striving for uniqueness just end up residing with her bleakness.

She knows she has met them all, knows they are nothing but a toll.

Raised by a women, watched by men. Each time she takes the streets, the blood hounds chase looking for prey they hunt in packs of ten. Busy assuring you that they only want a taste.

You’re a pretty girl, you’re beautiful they screech. You’ll be famous, a model they dictate. You looked lonely they proclaimed.

She can feel their hands tightly-laced their greedy claws rest and beg for more.

By Josephine, 14 years old

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By Lilly

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Trees can talk *mind blown* By Anthea from Loyola College

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By Jessica

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By Jimmy, Maisie, Ariana and Maddie 

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By Sophie