This is what I can't say out loud.

From the coasts of the peaceful islands of Ione, a wall of dense smog of the Nation looms from the distance, threatening the island. Queen Ailani had always dreaded the day her island will be mercilessly devoured by the Nation and her people will succumb to the rule of their own leader. But when it was too late, they had already obtained a strong grip around the island and were slowly suffocating it more and more with each passing day. Now she looks at the constitution in front of her with a pen in her hand and a gun pointed at her head. For years she was forced to watch as these foreigners slowly took over her land and her people. Her own people are divided from loyalty to their nation and their Queen or to the illusion of wealth and power of the Nation. Armed with the dangerous combination of greed and impatience, the foreigners staged a coup throughout her island. She stands at a crossroads: sign away her island or her life. This story is inspired by Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, who stood against the rising world power of America to protect her sacred lands and beloved people. - Wattpad selected me to be part of a campaign on behalf of Hulu for Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaids Tale". From its sole focus on feminism and women empowerment, I was inspired to create a story from such values. In a time when women are still undermined, the world needs a flood of more literature to spread this. So I'm honored to be part of this opportunity to contribute my writing to the feminist movement.

What if the only thing you have left is just a piece of paper? Well, more of a whole stack of papers, a thousand to be exact. Origami is the only thing for the one who folds again and again, one paper bird at a time. It's the only hope this person has who has fallen into the depression of knowing nothing will ever change, alone with no one to catch them. But it's not until a magical paper world opens up to this person, filled with life and color compared to the dark and gloomy life. The only question is: Will these paper cranes give this person hope once more or will they abandon this person in the darkness?

In which there is a debate between an optimist and a pessimist. If you don't know what either means, don't be embarrassed. An optimist always thinks that the world is full of hope. The pessimist will just shake his head and say, "Nope". So do you think it's right to believe everything is great every day? Or see that everything is more worse than the next in every single way? A poem submitted for the Everything is Awesome Scholarship Slam 2015.

Try to hear, don't leave me hoping. Please, don't try to quit. Just answer this one simple thing, Can you hear it? Won competition to be published in Creative Communication 2016 Spring Anthology