No Longer on Mute

No Longer on Mute was developed during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021 as a way of giving a voice to young people living in Greater Bendigo.

The title comes from the familiar experience of talking while being in an online forum, but finding that the microphone was still on mute.

In August and September 2021 young people were asked to submit a piece of text, up to 50 words; there was no set theme or genre.

From December 2021 the works that follow in this booklet were exhibited in Pennyweight Walk Open Air Gallery.

The works come from 93 people aged 3 to 25 living across the Greater Bendigo region.

We thank them for sharing these words.

We hope that people reading what has been shared are moved, inspired and entertained.

We wish these writers the very best, and look forward to them continuing to be NO LONGER ON MUTE.

Contributing writers: Anon x 9 • Adeeth Samarakone • Alice C • Amalee Bragg • AmyVance • Aoife Chilver • Ashlee Moore • Aya Cusick • Callan Orr • Charlotte Williams • Coen Kendal • Declan Adamson • Drouin Blair • Eda May • Eggo Taylor • Eleanor • Elisha Slingo • Ellen • Emily Sandeman • Emma Gleeson • Enoch • Envoy • Ethan Hendrix • Freya Brennand • Georgia • Grace Paynter • Hamish Worme • Harshil Balraj • How do I feel? • Hunter Pearce • Isabel W • Jackson Forder • Jacob Kendal • Jocelyn (Bizarre Trip) • Jonie Trinidad • Jorijah Sjaardema • Joshua Lim • Keily • Keira Long • Keysha • Kira Collins • Lexie Fennell • Lily • Lola Scout • Luke Drust • Mackenzie Davis • Mackenzie Trotter • Madison Lamprell • Makiya Lowe • Melanie Thoren • Miley Cleave • Milly Kelleher • Misha Gupta • Molly • Morag Chignell • Mylo Gledhill • Noah Pearce • Olivia Pitt • Raechel Suh • Riley Rosier • Rosy Pearce • Ruby Bath • Sachi Rose • Sadie Field • Samantha Campbell • Sarah Osborne • Savannah Mitchell • Séan Hughan • Shianne • Shyleeka • Siofra O'Malley • Spencer Blum • Spencer Lamprell • Steph.C • Steven • Tahlia Brown • Tash E • Toby S • twitch.tv/ariaer •Varley Bobart • W dV • Willow Dickson • Willow King • Zach Arthur-West • Zarah Chimunda

My life was great Until one day when I was told We were moving to the other side of the world It shook and threw me But it turned out better than ever before So welcome new things Don’t be afraid Things will always turn out for good Just believe

You're beautiful just the way you are.

Life is full of all creatures big and small

Coronavirus doesn't come into your house unless you go out and invite it in.

I wish that I didn't have to pick a side.

I wish I could be a boy.

I wish to be a girl.

I wish to be a girl wearing blue or a boy wearing pink!

Sometimes I want to be a bug, Other times I'd like to be a colour.

I want to be hidden in the ground but free in the sky, Why do I want these things?

I’m grateful for my parents.

I’m grateful for the clouds to give us rain that gives us rainbows.

I’m grateful for my Kinder teachers and my friends being kind to me.

I wish people were judged for themselves.

I wish that people weren’t judged for their gender, their race, their sexual orientation, their moods, their abilities, their past, their looks, their lifestyle, their religion, their choices.

I wish people were judged for themselves.

There's always something to be grateful for.

I'm grateful for my dog, family, friends, education and my life, and if someone you love passes away, they're still in your heart.

If you’re experiencing poverty, you still have your life.

What are you grateful for in your life?

it may not be the best of times right now but remember, even in the darkness there is a way to the light, so take time for you, embrace the bad and the good, because we are a nation so we stand together always, it may take a while but we can get through this together, i promise :)

And in the midst of heaven's bliss, you will find something you’ll never miss.

And with the help of the devil, you will enter limbo fiction.

Here comes moth's conviction, Here comes moth's conviction, Here comes moth's conviction, Here comes moth's conviction.

We're all seeking the light at the end of the tunnel and it may seem as if it might never end, but there IS a light waiting for us.

The lockdowns have got us feeling down, but that doesn't mean we can't contribute to our community by waiting out the storm because, as an artist, I know that for a fact, broken crayons, can still colour, so can you!

COVID LOCKDOWN STARTED SECONDARY COLLEGE LOCKDOWN MOVED HOUSE LOCKDOWN

I miss the summer of 2019 when things weren't so hard.

I look at people on the streets and see that everyone is different Everyone is themselves or something they want people to see But people aren’t being themselves because of others In their mind they're very different to what others see them as So just shhhhh…

The howling of the wind whips at my face.

What has this become?

What has the world become?

Everything's so devoid of any emotion except for the feeling of hopelessness.

Why did we allow this to go on for so long?

Covid not only ripped apart my very being or my family, it ripped apart the whole world.

What do we have to show for ourselves?

And I love you — 'Cause even if it breaks me more, Makes me more Silent, scared Throws me off balance; Emotionally impaired.

If it's worth it, What am I giving up, If I pretend I've never cared?

Always remember one of the biggest obstacles you will have to overcome in life is your own mind

Doe eyed baby boy, Welcome to our world Can't wait to see you grow And serve you my love and all.

We need to team up to get rid of Covid-19 and the Delta variant, if we don’t then a lot more people are going to die. First thing you can do is wear your mask and only go out if you need to. You can also see how to get the vaccine. So many people are dying or dead that we need to do all we can, so please stay indoors and if you do need to go out wear your mask.

The little girl hid under the covers, sobbing quietly. She felt misunderstood.

The boxes piled up around her.

Dresses and shiny sequin shoes lay sprawled across the floor.

“When will it change…?” she whispered to herself.

Peering through the mirror, a man, his eyes so familiar.

He smiled. “Soon …”

I wish the world was a better place instead, it's full of hate I can't possibly have more on my plate I feel emotionally drained with the way people don't use their brains It fills me with pain As I feel like this world cannot have anything good left to gain.

The chance of you being born is 1 in 400,000,000,000,000.

If those odds worked out for you, why not just try.

There is always a chance, no matter how small.

To have no pandemics in the future like Covid-19.

Covid-19 has affected me in many ways; mentally and physically.

It affected me mentally by not seeing my friends at school, being inside and not being able to leave my house because of lockdown.

It also affected me physically by not getting outside to get active.

When you don't think about things, everything makes sense, but when you do, nothing makes sense.

Lockdown is acceptable.

People talk about how bad the last two years were and how they miss pre-2020 but to be honest, lockdown isn't that bad. I've had the opportunity to talk and make friends with people in my grade more often because they use social media.

I've become more extroverted from this very introverted setting.

Lockdown is acceptable.

The sky drops to the floor.

The world filled with darkness once more.

The explosion shocked us all.

We never cherished what we had.

Until it was all gone.

My cry for help wasn't heard.

My hope was lost.

Those thoughts came back to me.

I've lost.

I was dragged out of bed, my eyes barely open.

We never have any food.

Being at home is terrible, everyone is forced to watch computer screens for hours.

We just have our family to entertain us.

The best times are going to the shops.

Gosh lockdown is hard.

Will they? Won't they?

They've stared the question in the eye.

Is it love? hope? or torture?

They lay awake at night begging the question.

Tensions boil.

For the river dries and the clock withers.

Has the moment passed?

Always asking, will they? Won't they?

Lockdown is challenging, but if we smile we can get through it.

If you're feeling down there’s always someone to talk to, like your friends, family or teachers.

If you share your feelings you might feel better.

Walk the dog or play outside.

Smile and we can get through this.

My day is the same every day for six weeks.

I wait for something interesting like a different teacher or a special event at school, I sit behind a computer waiting for something, even if it is a teacher ending the meeting by accident or wearing a funny hat.

Lockdown Blues Gone are the days immersed in laughter and the excitement of fun and games with friends. Depressed, drained, discarded, deprived of human touch. Textbooks, Zooms and remote learning fill the day.

When will my life be restored? Finally life pulses through me. PowerPoint on ...

PlayStation activated ... GAME ON!!!!

My wish for the future is that humanity won’t be attacked by pandemics again, because it would make business a lot better. Shops would be able to open, and sell products to people, and make money. Also, the people buying the products would benefit from the products.

It was chasing me.

A shadow over my life.

It darkened the world wherever it went.

Everyone was afraid of it, not knowing where it would strike next.

It created fear among society.

People tried to escape it, but it knew what to do, and this shadow is Covid-19.

The days crept, becoming shorter and shorter, the 12 hours in one day became longer.

There was nothing else left to do but sit.

I turned my head to see empty parks and playgrounds outside my apartment window.

No one was seen, it was the days of isolation.

"Where'd all the time go?"

I whispered to myself.

It was more than just a little cough, It was more than just a dead body, It was more than hundreds of families being torn apart.

Torn apart because of the year 2020.

It was much more than all of that.

And it will always be much more than that.

Lockdown was like rain; it always came back.

One day we would be at the school playing with friends, the next we’re stuck at home with only our family.

Sometimes you just want to sit in a corner and not worry, but the worries follow you like a clingy pet.

Jaguar stalking through the long grass Unau sloth hanging from the tree Nunlet singing as she swoops in the sky Gibbon screeching as he leaps between branches Lemurs eating fruit on the forest floor Eels slither below the surface of the water

Covid Frustrating, Spiky, Sickening, Spreading, Killing, Lockdowns, Testing, Masks, Vaccines, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Tiny, Invisible, Virus

Keep on going, lockdown will soon be a thing of the past, it's time to get out your swords to fight off the blues.

Soon we will have freedoms galore, come on, move around, get up, and have a great day, it will be OVER soon.

All you need is love – John Lennon

So, hold on for one more day – The Wilson Sisters

Keep your head up – Andy Grammer

And count on me – Bruno Mars

It's, a long and winding road – The Beatles

But, just let it be, let it be – The Beatles

Sometimes, you can feel, like a bird on a wire – Leonard Cohen

But the only way is up – Yazz

I walked in, it was chaos.

Books everywhere, clothes all over the floor.

My family was running around like the world was ending, I didn’t know what was going on.

I was scared I yelled, “WHAT’S GOING ON? WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?” Then mum said, “We are going into lockdown.”

Peggy’s Naughty Night She grabs the wool and sprints around the house.

Mum and Dad wake and they are MAD. She sat down looking glum for what she’s done.

“OUTSIDE”, they said pointing towards the door.

Outside she slept in rain and roaring wind.

She sits and thinks of what she did…

Where would you go if you had a magic carpet?

Perhaps shopping in Paris or swimming in the Caribbean?

What about soaring high above the clouds?

How about a beautiful old palace?

Maybe you are seeing someone special?

So where would you go if you had a magic carpet?

Lockdown is like a dark mould seeping through walls.

You think it goes, but it keeps rushing back.

Lockdown is like mould because if mould gets bad you have to leave your house for a couple of days to get it treated, with lockdown you have to stay at home instead.

A new day is a new beginning.

Let's look at the stars.

Every choice I make no matter left or right, I always turn back.

I run back to you no matter what I do.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is above all; I will always choose you.

I have a dream for the world to become the best it can be, so this involves cleaning up rubbish and looking after the spaces we live in.

Importantly we, as people will do random acts of kindness and keep smiling.

— Be Kind, and empathic towards others

I have a dream — That all people will be nice I have a dream that everyone will have enough money I have a dream we will judge people by what they do For this to happen we must all agree This is my dream

Die Young, Live Old

The sky is inky blue, swirling clouds like potion bottles with wind carrying them along Thunder echoes, rippling along the sky in a resigned rumble And the rain falls And as the rain falls, it soothes the mottled earth And as the rain falls, it asks the frogs to dance And as the rain falls, it nurses the leaves to health And the rain falls

Life is consistently inconsistent.

Trans rights Trans people men are men Trans women are women And nonbinary people are who they choose to be We always have been and always will be Trans Rights

Once upon a time there was a young boy called Jeff who was in the middle of eating his jelly and found a firecracker that he set off into his old grumpy neighbour's backyard and his neighbour decided to get revenge on him by buying another firecracker and setting it off into his backyard.

The end

Month one of lockdown.

First Covid cases.

Everyone's at the supermarket buying toilet paper Month two of lockdown.

Home learning begins.

Once it started we felt like it would never end.

Month three of lockdown.

Back to school again.

Oh my god, we look a mess.

'sadness is temporary'

i wish ... i wish... i think wishing is overrated when wishing for something it's asking for something to happen without any work, but all those who are successful worked for it so i guess i wish for no more wishes we should just chase our dreams

In a landmark decision, the Australian government's failure to act on the climate emergency was described by Justice Mordy Bromberg as "the greatest inter-generational injustice ever inflicted by one generation of humans upon the next."

(Sharma v Minister for Environment) (Federal Court of Australia)

Our home in Bendigo is where I have friends and lots of sports I love.

#supportyournationgetthecovidvaccination

As I was thrown on to the Carpathia I had hope.

I survived the “unsinkable” ship.

I was safe, although I couldn't feel my legs, arms or hands I knew I was going to die as an old lady warm in bed, not from the Titanic.

Covid has got us all down We haven't been able to go to town Don't worry it will get better For now we'll stick to writing a letter We can't see each other face to face We have to wait until there is not a single case For now we will have to wait To see our best mate

It’s been a tough year Don’t fear Sometimes we think we are heading down the funnel There is a light at the end of the tunnel Everyone’s voice is to be heard It’s something none of us deserved Get the jab, wear the masks Come on Bendigo let’s finish this task!

We’re all in this together No matter the COVID weather

Lockdown We’re stuck at home, And can't leave our zone, There became a new rule, there would be no school, The only way to socialise, Was Zoom and exercise, They call it lockdown, It made people frown, We got a vaccine, To end quarantine.

Believe There are many things in life, good things, bad things, things that make you cry.

But deep inside you are someone that nobody can hide.

Anything is possible, you are unstoppable.

You are powerful, you are kind, You can do anything with the power of your mind.

Finish your story and go for the glory!

Caring people.

People care about each other through Covid.

Overwhelming.

People are frightened they do not know what is happening.

Virus.

Covid is scary and dangerous.

Injection.

We made the vaccine it is time to get vaccinated.

Destruction.

So many have been affected by Covid and families have been hurt.

Bendigo is a place, We respect those of all race, Past, present and in the future, We wish for a better land, Use your helping hand, And make kindness our #1 demand.

Thank you everyone that lives in this town, And may you never need to frown in our amazing town.

Botanical Gardens Eating out Nature fun Dirt tracks to ride on DIscovery Centre Great schools POppet head

I wish I become as great as I can be and live a happy life.

I want to be a great sister, person and friend.

The message I want to send is be yourself and follow your dreams.

Be kind and caring to yourself and others.

Inside you might feel alone.

But you're not! We are all in this together.

You are strong, but together we are stronger!

If we can get through this, we can get through anything.

We are tough!

We are the Children of Bendigo.

Focus Breathe through your nose Relax Sit down Become Who are you?

Retrieve your focus And the bubble gum Stuck to your shoe!

A Pug Haiku: S’up? Me a meatloaf!

Give me your chicken satay!

And your bed, ha ha…

Covid-19 has left me feeling sad, scared, and confused at times.

Drawing is a way for me to release my stress and worries.

I find drawing to be a fun and relaxing way to express and regulate my emotions, feelings, and thoughts.

But most of all, drawing makes me happy.

Cold, dark and deep This world feels all too steep The light switches on and off People flinch when I cough Stay in, stay out Life is crazy, without a doubt.

Cold, dark and deep This world feels all too steep Hold tight, History we’ll rewrite Cold, dark and deep

Covid-19 has affected the lives of millions.

As we try and fight it off, every attempt seems to fail.

To me and many others this pandemic has been a nightmare.

It’s destroyed the mental health of me and the people surrounding me.

Aspire to achieve everything you dream of: every step you take in the direction of your goals is a step worth taking.

Grief is a difficult time in life but in life every person witnesses this.

Some handle it in different ways.

My tip for you is to not let grief stop you from doing your best in life, get past the rough stage and try your hardest to enjoy the rest.

A meaningful life isn’t being rich or being well educated or being popular or even being perfect.

A meaningful life is being happy, being humble, being strong and even being able to share how motivating life is.

My wishes for the future are to make a plane so that I can fly in it to lots of places all around the world and to get to see my school friends again.

I wish for my labrador to be thinner as she's eaten too much in lockdown!

Long way from the beach, but we’ve got Faith Leech.

Theatre in a jail and O'Keefe's Rail Trail, The gallery on View, Chancery Lane too, Pottery to make, walk around the lake, QEO sports, tennis courts, Gold mines and places to dine.

Our town of gold will never grow old.

Another story, Another day, Tell me if there is a way.

Tell me that life isn't the end, And tell me that death isn't a friend.

And tell me that I'm not old enough to understand, You'll be wrong, but I don't think that's planned.

What did I say?

I love home schooling because you can play on your computer.

I don't like home schooling because I can't see my friends.

At least I have my sisters to play with.

COVID-19 has been a large rollercoaster.

People should embrace being out of lockdown.

COVID-19 hasn't made everything bad - tourism has completely died, but wildlife has been going crazy!

Many people have been suffering and they want to see others.

Technology has kept people together and staying safe.

Stay safe Bendigo!

In these times it’s really hard and you’re doing an amazing job so keep it up.

Keep trying hard, stay positive, call family and friends to check in on them to see how things are going for them.

The smallest things you do for yourself and others change their/your whole day and make things so much brighter.

The world has changed completely.

Stupid COVID.

Lockdown is like a pendulum.

One day you’re feeling happy The other you’re feeling sad.

One day the sun is shining.

The other the rain is pelting.

One day you know precisely what to do The other you’re utterly confused.

Lockdown is like a pendulum That never ever stops moving.

Um, what?' Amber stumbled over her own words, her face looking terrified.

‘I-I didn’t know it was yours.

O-otherwise I wouldn’t have touched it!’

‘No.’ said Fred in his deep, stern voice.

‘You are a liar. You must have punishment. When someone sits in my chair, they always regret it.'

My delicate swallow If only gazes leapt As I wish to direct My song bird suffocates But I, who hesitates Closes cage, and severs air From my crying swallow

I wear my heart on my sleeve but all I want is pockets.

You think you’re sad so become glad.

You think you’re hurt so become healed.

You think you’re done but you’re far from even starting.

Someone loves you.

Someone believes in you.

Someone thinks you're beautiful.

Have you tried to become glad?

Have you tried to heal?

Maybe try starting.

a flawless painting the colours still shine bright rainbow in your eyes

Can we truly know and understand the objective when the existence of every living being sees life through the lens of subjectivity?

i wish my Gender was a tangible thing i’m not sure if i would hit It rip It to shred s or kiss It and love It until i could understand what It wanted (or who I was)

Womin-Jeka…As a proud Palawa woman I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and pay my respects to Elders both past, present, and emerging.

I acknowledge them as custodians for many centuries who continue to perform age old ceremonies.

I also pay respects to Aboriginal people from across Australia who feel connection to Community and Country here while living in the Bendigo region. - Emily Gower