Heritage Poems 75 - Guernsey schools' poetry competition
This year, 2020, celebrates 75 years of liberation from the Occupation of the Nazis during World War two on the Island of Guernsey. A poetry competition was held asking Guernsey school students to write poems about the experience during Occupation and the joy of Liberation after 5 years (World War 2). Students from schools across the island talked to their grandparents and learnt about how it affected family members. They submitted poems which were judged by local sixth form students studying English. Online voting was used to identify an overall winner from the nine finalists. Students also had the opportunity to read out their poems on Radio Guernsey in the JKT show.
This year, 2020, celebrates 75 years of liberation from the Occupation of the Nazis during World War two on the Island of Guernsey. A poetry competition was held asking Guernsey school students to write poems about the experience during Occupation and the joy of Liberation after 5 years (World War 2). Students from schools across the island talked to their grandparents and learnt about how it affected family members. They submitted poems which were judged by local sixth form students studying English. Online voting was used to identify an overall winner from the nine finalists. Students also had the opportunity to read out their poems on Radio Guernsey in the JKT show.
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The Overall Winner Our Occupation Lucie Jackson
In June 1940 our children lined up,
Waiting, waiting, waiting
to be evacuated to safety,
We hoped to see them soon,
Before the Nazis arrived to stay.
On the 28th June the Nazis flew over,
Dropping, dropping, dropping
their bombs as they came,
People ran and sheltered in cellars,
Alas, 33 died that day.
On the 1st of July they took over,
Marching, marching, marching
through our streets in their droves,
With loaded guns ready to fire,
Innocent people were left in dismay.
They imposed their Nazi rules,
Censoring, censoring, censoring
everything we would say or do,
Forcing us into hiding,
All we could do was pray.
We lost a large number of houses,
taking, taking, taking
everything for themselves,
Leaving some homeless and desperate,
With everything taken away.
The island was just like a prison,
building, building, building
fortresses and wire walls everywhere,
No allies could come in or out,
Leaving us feeling sombre and grey.
We were trapped with limited food,
Scavenging, scavenging, scavenging
for every scrap we could find,
Black market deals were an option,
If only we could pay.
For 5 long years this lasted,
Praying, praying, praying
this misery will end soon.
Our beautiful isle changed forever,
As we waited for our Liberation Day.
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