C is for the COVID-19 crisis that ran its course
Starting with its conquest of China
Where this new coronavirus chose it's first epicentre
And commenced what would become
A worldwide catastrophe.

C is for the curiosity
That came before the interest
In the new and complex concepts
Of Chemistry and Combined Add Maths
Of concentration and of Calculus
In our IGCSE courses
That carried on through the lockdown.

C is for the courage
That it took to face the constant changes
From incomplete coursework
To proof of concept models,
The creativity that continued
To flow through the collaboration
In hangout chats and comments
That kept us connected.

C is for the confusion
Of school closures and classroom calls
And the challenges
Of craning our necks to peer into the camera
At classmates across the cyberspace,
Confined to their separate corners of the country
Due to the movement control orders
That have changed the way we coexist.

C is for the comfort
Of the novel concept of learning from home,
Staying cozy in bed
With no need to catch the bus,
Striking casual conversations
With siblings during class,
No commuting between periods
Meant a more carefree routine
Eating chocolate and crisps
Behind the icons covering our screens.

C is for the choices
That will create opportunity in the future
To overcome what little control we have
Over our current lives
And continue to consider our pathways
For life beyond the constriction.

C is for the commitment
To coaching us through a pandemic
With online concert recordings for Christmas
And with coding competitions and crossfit circuits
To keep us cheerful and in check
For when life can continue as normal.

C is for the consolation
From our compassionate and considerate teachers
For overcoming the cancellations of exams,
For combatting the desire
To completely abandon all hopes and plans
Of attaining the flying colours
That we are all capable of achieving,
For the confidence they gave us
To carry on chasing our dreams.

C is for the comrades
Who carried us through the conflict
Who cared for us in lockdown
And comforted us in solitude,
For the compassion that they showed
That brought us ever closer,
Constructed bonds that we will cherish
And created courage
Within our character.

C is for the the care that we take,
The connections we make,
The cynical cycles we break,
The cruel agony of the ache,
For the changes that take shape,
The lines that converge to one place,
The collective experiences that we share,
The ways we show each other that we care,
For striving to make a contrasting world fair,
For equal opportunity regardless of the colour of our hair,
For the company of our friends that helps us to bear
The challenges of a situation that threatens to tear
A crevice through the life of every man,
A time in our lives that has shown us we can
Clutch on to the edge of the crater that swallowed our plans
And though we are crumbling we still hold it together
And still find a way to stay close to each other.
In conclusion we find ourselves nearing the end of another
School year that must be cherished before it is over.

And that is why, fellow companions,
C is a very significant letter to me.