'Woven Legacy': A poem to mark the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla

A poem to mark the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by winners of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition: Amaal Fawzi, Maulika Pandey, Madeleine Wood, Ethan Charles Mufuma and Esther Mungalaba.

'Woven Legacy'

The years slip gently through our fingers like silk,

But unfurl to reveal a beautiful blazing tapestry.

Past and future gild the valleys and the hills

As the sun crowns a horizon woven with legacy.

Time can erode away the temporary,

Time can pass you by if you stay still,

But time has no power over memory –

Time cannot change how hope can feel.

To the future we look,

A new King, a new Queen,

For them, for us.

Together a future will be built.

Memories forged.

History made.

As the new dawn arises,

High hopes prevail,

Bright lights illuminate,

Our eyes glitter with dreams,

To a world that gleams.

In you, communities' dreams are revealed

Dreams to gain fame

Dreams to be firm

Communities live as one

Linked objectively

Connected culturally.

The spirit of voluntarism

That uplifts broken souls to hope

Down to earth you bend

To help nations stand

You design the umbrella

Under which we serve others

Serving without tagging a price.

At the nexus of past and future, this moment stands

A chance to shape the world with our hands

A community steeped in history

A history shaped in community

In majesty, in honour, in inspiration, in responsibility

Ours is a tale of courage, a legacy of ability.

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Find out more about The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition and how to enter this year's competition.