Author: Ami Asija, Class XI E
“The more you uproot a tree, the stronger it gets,”
my papa said as we drove back home from my ninth school admission.
I was 11 — tender, and not yet understanding why my life’s background settings had already changed
eleven times, shifting across this vast nation.
Losing best friends every few years.
Re-learning how to fit in.
Still an outcast. Bullied. Beaten up — more than I admit out loud.
I’d say it was an interesting childhood.
That meant nine uniforms. Nine first benches. Nine times of walking into a classroom full of strangers —
wondering, who will I have to become this time?
And sometimes, I wondered… What if uprooting a tree ends up killing it?
Hi. My name is Ami.
And this is the story I tell no one.
There were moments I wanted to stop trying —
when I thought, what’s the point of settling in when you’re only going to have to leave again?
But somewhere between the old goodbyes and the new hellos,
I learned something that’s hard to explain but impossible to forget:
You don’t lose yourself by starting over.
You find out how much of yourself was always yours.
Beginning again became a part of me —
Whether it was my ever-changing spiral of hobbies,
or my timetables, always aiming for some kind of world domination.
It’s always been about hitting rock bottom… and still uttering:
“I’m not done yet.”
I’ve tried to make sure that all the damage done… is good damage.
The kind that toughens the bark, deepens the roots.
The kind that strengthens
my imaginative mind.
A heart drawn to both science and art
And the unwavering determination to become something for my motherland.
I’ve wanted to believe that the shifting, the restarts, the uncertainty —
it all led somewhere.
And the truth is: sometimes, I don’t know if it did.
Truth is, it’s all too scary. The truth is. You still, just have to keep going.
In the words of my idol:
“This is the story of becoming a hero, the hard way.”
So from this 15-year-old kid with a lot behind her and a hundred dreams ahead:
If there’s one message I leave you with today, let it be this:
Let your goals scare you.
Let your moments affect you.
And most importantly: let yourself be.
Because I promise you,
You’re one hell of a tree.
We’ll never be those kids again,
For only memories remain,
And we’re sorry, we’re letting go,
But hey, just so you know,
Time’s moving so fast,
Glittery… will our moments last?
I’m sick of growing up,
Overcaffinated from my exam cup,
This distance pulls at us,
Can we please just go in the same bus?
Parents say “pain is good, it makes you stronger”,
Nobody caresses, just stay a little longer,
Wait a while, let’s grow up together?
So short wasn’t it? our “forever”
We need more inside jokes, and laugh over school,
Fight, Love, Laugh, and be THOSE KIDS, always-cool.
None of us are prepared,
And even if used to it, I’m scared,
To take it slow, let us drift with the flow,
But hey, just so you know,
Nothing’s gonna change,
No matter how things turn strange,
Even if we’re silent and far,
With this stupid “au revoir”,
We’re still here,
And it’s all so clear,
Panicking over tests,
Against teachers, protests,
The court’s not lonely,
We’re it’s one and only,
So hide your fears no more,
Seek on every floor,
Sing, Dance, Scream and Fall,
Shark shark in the hall,
Movies, Anime, Gossip, controversy is center,
Last one to touch the wall is the denner!
Roof, Park, Roads, Floors, play the day away,
C’mon guys, we have today!
Bas ho gaya, no more gloomy,
Cuz for all the time I’ve known you, you knew me.
And so, we can always run away,
And to each other, we’ll stay,
Through the highs and the lows, today, tomorrow and long ago,
We’ll always be those kids, just so you know.
Walking down a lone alley,
Red scarf round my neck,
Breathe in the cold air,
Away from the wreck,
Walk past a lamp-post,
By a red brick wall,
Old and scarred,
But brave and tall,
My feet stop,
As I stand to admire,
missing the joy of little things,
I sigh. I tire.
I find something so pretty,
About the crack and creak,
Perhaps, we are alike. Broken,
A tear rolls down my cheek,
My cold-stiff hand touches,
The warm growth of green,
For in the darkest places,
It’s the beauty between,
This wall, it’s home,
This ever-ordinary wall,
But not for me,
For me, it’s a call,
A call to be set free,
Out of my rocking cage,
I’ve read past’s chapter too long,
It’s time to turn the page.
