In God We Trust
Toronto, Canada
2022, Junior, Creative Writing
Purple House Press Secretary News Briefings, June 12, 3022
Greetings sea urchins and all spiky creatures!
The cruelty of the sea otters depleted our numbers, but the joyful day has finally come! We celebrate the deaths of our predators! We have long waited for this day, a day in which we, sea urchins, are finally free and sitting firmly on the top of our food chain. From now on, parents no longer need to worry about their children’s safety; they will no longer be snatched away from home by these furry freaks, their innocent lives stolen far too early.
And as if this weren’t exciting enough, I have some further wonderful news! The heavens have become our allies in the war; they have perpetrated mysterious diseases amongst the starfish, killing them off in numbers beyond our wildest dreams. As a result of heaven’s goodwill, we haven’t even laid a finger on them, yet they are almost gone, truly showing how karma came to bite them in the back.
We thank the land creatures who walk on two sticks with two long pipes at their sides and a hole that screeches. We show our gratitude to them for being our saviors and for spilling substances into the ocean. It was thus far the most effective way of eradication. Thank you, oh so intelligent creatures, with your pure and good hearts! May your good deeds be rewarded by the heavens.
Now dear urchins, we must learn from the intelligent land creatures in our efforts for further progress. From today onwards, we will work towards demolishing the kelp forest and continuing our conquest of expansion, capturing and overcoming everything that comes our way. We have already had great progress on the California coastlines, where we have fought so bravely against the bull kelp. Yes, there was a 90 percent reduction, but we can do more!
And know that we are not alone in this conquest! We still have the aid of Two Legs. They have used their intelligence to warm the ocean, and if I say so myself, I no longer feel cold. With this powerful ally by our side, I feel more confident in winning this battle! May hope guide us to our final destination.
Purple House Press Secretary News Briefings, June 13, 3025
Greeting to all sea urchins!
We have finally completed our mission, and once again, we mighty creatures have proved that we are the ones destined to shine! Only three years ago to this day, kelp forests still existed, but what we once lacked in size, we made up for in unity and hope! Let me summarize all of our truly impressive accomplishments.
In the first year, we were exceedingly efficient at eliminating the forests. But of course, it is not war without challenge. We found other enemies waiting in the wings. They were as vicious as the sea lions, trying to terrorize and eradicate us! But there were many creatures that allied with the kelp, and even decided to live amongst it. So we united and pushed. Oh, we brave and courageous souls defeated those monsters despite their opposition.
As we demolished the kelp forests, we learned of the frailty and vulnerability of 800 inferior species who depended on the kelp for survival. The red abalone stands out as a particularly significant example of a weak, fragile species, stupidly dependent on kelp. There were many times when we purple urchins were portrayed as villains for starving them to death. But we argue differently! If they were strong like us, then they would have survived. We are not God. We are not responsible for evolution. We simply benefit from both. Their fragility brought them to their fate, just like how fate determined that we were the strongest of them all!
We have also won over the sky, sweet listeners. Oh yes! Turns out the flaps in the sky also depended on the fish, but the fish depended on the kelp. The flappers’ incessant need to feed their young put a target on their backs. And we were not going to ignore that target. Fate dealt us a sweet hand again and we knew, indubitably, that the grace of God touched us. For it is the fate of those who are weak to be decimated by the strong. After all, we are chosen by God, and so in God we trust.
Reflection
Reflection
I chose to target the issue revolving around sea urchins, whose increase in population from climate change is resulting in an imbalance in the ocean’s ecosystem. This story highlights the massacre of nature with the simple sentence: “God let us.” This sentence sounds like the words of a character straight out of a corny movie, yet our current world might as well be that movie. Allegory is used throughout the piece by personifying the sea urchins as humans, and politicians at that. I mock world governments whose ridiculous speeches and press secretary announcements focus on congratulating themselves rather on the issues at hand. As much as leaders are saying that they want to fight climate change, the actions that they take are widely different. The relationship between the sea urchin and the human is also portrayed as ironic. Humans are causing havoc in the oceans and tearing down the ecosystem. This havoc is typified by the increase in sea urchins; however, the sea urchins don’t see it the same way because they are thriving. With all the other species gone, they will eventually face hunger. Thus dramatic irony is used throughout the whole piece as the reader knows that the “powerful” voice applauding its position in the ocean will be silenced in a matter of time. My satire is meant to give my readers a clear indication of who we actually are rather than who we should be. I hope they reject this characterisation of themselves by simply changing their ways and preserving what little we have left.