Confines of a Memory - By SYANIA ADAM

Written By: SYANIA ADAM

Category: Prose

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In "Confines of a Memory," SYANIA ADAM offers readers a poignant narrative exploring the delicate tapestry of childhood imagination. Contributing to the esteemed Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 in the Creative Writing category, SYANIA delves into themes of nostalgia and the fleeting nature of youthful dreams. Her work invites readers to reflect on the cherished trinkets of our past and the creative worlds we leave behind as we grow.

About the Work

SYANIA ADAM's "Confines of a Memory" is a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion, capturing the wistfulness of a world once vivid and now fading into the confines of memory. The narrative is imbued with a sense of longing for lost creativity and explores the struggle to preserve the vibrant landscapes of youth through art. The prose is evocative, painting a world where imagination once thrived, now confined yet ever cherished.

Confines of a memory

Original Submission by SYANIA ADAM

Confines of a memory- ISSUE 1

SUBMISSION 1

CATEGORY: Fiction

The Sun has not yet risen from Night’s slumber, and the Dawn is everpresent. The Day is nigh however. Light will fill the crevices of a room, so lived-in with its trinkets; the souvenirs from across time. The porcelain doll from childhood in its Victorian garb, staring as blankly as the day it was brought to the house, the lamb plushie worn out over its life of being held and giving comfort, the many little figurines of ponies, fairies and the like placed on her shelves still waiting for new stories to be given to them in times of play.

They carry with them the reminiscence of fighting fantastical wars with pixies, living in evergreen circular homes or assisting woodland creatures with the foraging of vegetables. The nostalgia of the acceptance of creativity embodied in these little trinkets. They fill over the sleeping figure of a girl who spends most her time immersed in a world all her own. A world where all these trinkets or “little girl toys” came to life. A world filled with vegetation growing in pastel colours, where the Sun and Moon coexist simultaneously. Neither day or night and yet both at the same time. Oceans rife with seashells, pearls and mermaids who controlled the waves.

She used to be able to vividly remember this world in its entirety. Its beauty never leaving her. Yet, as she grew up it started drifting afar. Her memory of it started to fade; the intensity of it started to wither away and she couldn’t quite place what anything looked like anymore as she grew older. Previously her most vibrant escape, now it was turning into more of a husk. A blur of colours and sounds. As much as she tried to return, it was never the same. Almost as if it were doomed to the ephemerality of youth. And so it was that the girl aimed to take control of the world with its nonsensical Sun and its mysterious Moon, in all its non-linear glory. Bringing it to her “real world”.

Art was her way of bringing the world to life. The strokes of colours; bright and warm trying to capture its essence. She wore herself down attempting to mix colours to fit the mixture of greens, pinks and purples that were the colours of the water streams of the world, unable to wrap her head something that was never meant to be understood. People called her works “Impressionist”, fitting different meanings to her paintings to suit their artistic narratives. Boxing it into fit terms, speaking of non-existent intent or meaning from the way the brush strokes looked. Terms that filled her with frustration. No, this is not for you to take from me. She would think. So she stopped trying to capture the memory of the world. She hated the idea of a search for a linear meaning and story when certain things were just meant to be. She let the world be. She stopped the paintings and the showings and the searching. And one day when all was said and done, the world took her home. Comforting and welcoming in its embrace, she first entered the world as a little girl in her tiny pinafore dress. She returned to it for the last time in the same form.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a distinguished platform celebrating the creative talents of writers worldwide. It offers a unique opportunity for participants to share their work on a global stage, fostering a community united by a love for the written word. This competition is a testament to the power of storytelling and the diverse voices that bring it to life.

Thank you, SYANIA ADAM, for sharing "Confines of a Memory" with the world through the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your exploration of nostalgia and creativity resonates deeply, inviting readers to journey back to their own cherished worlds. We are grateful for your contribution and look forward to witnessing more of your creative endeavors.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.