National Poetry Month 2018
Railway Station
This week my students and I read an article in the Scope Scholastic magazine about the Kindertransport. Jewish families paid for their children to board a train to Great Britain where a group of people welcomed and fostered these children escaping the dangers in Germany in 1939. The article focused on the story of one girl, Lore. For some of my students, this was their first exposure to the horrors of the Holocaust. They became fascinated and touched by the terror these children had to go through.
Amy VanDerwater is writing a poem everyday on her blog and featuring one of the methods in her book Poems are Teachers. I am using this prompt daily. Added bonus: my students are learning about Orion because Amy is writing about one topic, Orion, 30 ways.
On day 2, she used story structure. I thought this prompt paired well as a response to the Scope article. As a follow up, my students created videos in Animoto with their poems.
Today, I am sharing my poem as well as a powerful video from my student, Erin.
Kindertransport
Alone with a suitcase,
a photograph,
an accordion,
Lore waited at the station
to be saved.Hitler fanned the flames of hatred.
Terror washed over her.
Why did her parents send her away?
To be saved.The only way they knew how,
they sent her away
to live with strangers
to learn a new language,
to find new friends,to be saved.
–Margaret Simon (c) 2018
Reflections on the Teche 
I think poetry is the perfect platform for difficult subjects for young people. Excellent use of the mentor poem and the new subject. I’ll bet your students are really enjoying the learning.
They are. They come in asking about our next poem. Some are checking Amy’s site ahead of time.
So important that we don’t forget what hatred and authoritarianism lead to. You are such a great connector of people and of people to the past.
Thanks. I like that word connector.
Me, too. 🙂
I love your description of children’s first encounter with the horrors of the Holocaust: “fascinated and touched.” That is a great place to start. And Erin’s video is powerful – she shows incredible compassion. I loved the line “But there was still hope” right in the middle. She is so clearly looking for ways to grapple with evil. I see this, too, in your poem, in the repetition of the line “to be saved.” I am glad that it was you who introduced this topic to them.
Thanks Amanda. Your comments are always so thoughtful and lift me up.
Fabulous and touching poem, Margaret. Great subject for your students to be exposed to and lucky for them to have your guidance as they’re exposed to the reality of the Holocaust.
First, Margaret, I agree with the comments others have shared. Also, I want to say that I saw this as an excellent pairing of a narrative and poem with an art piece that together make an excellent platform to introduce the Holocaust. And there’s such a great integration of reading, writing, use of technology with history. You may already know the following books, favorites of mine, but just in case you don’t here’s a bit of information about them. Mordicai Gerstein’s “The Old Country” is a fairy tale-like allegorical novel of a holocaust. “The Harmonica” by Tony Johnston is a picture book based on a true story of a teenage boy’s survival of Dyhernfurth. Illustrations are wonderful. “One Candle” by Eve Bunting is a picture book of a family’s celebration of Hanakkuh during which Grandma tells of celebrating Hanakkuh in Buchenwald. Beautiful illustrations parallel the family’s celebration and Grandma’s story. BTW, I use these three books as mentor text for writing.
Thanks for the book suggestions. Each of my students picked a book from the library to read and do a book talk about. These do not sound familiar. Maybe the public library has them.
Your poems are always such an inspiration. This one is exceptionally remarkable (see all above remarks…I second them). But I have to say, I am in as much awe of your father’s art as I am your poems this month. He has such a distinct style.
When I talked to him he sounded so proud that his artwork is getting exposure. I’m happy too that I can do this for him.
Margaret, did you see this ?
https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/19/opinions/holocaust-survivor-trump-charlottesville-sonia-k-opinion/index.html?sr=fbCNN012718holocaust-survivor-trump-charlottesville-sonia-k-opinion1144AMVODtop
I actually had chilling thoughts as these when we were reading the article. Especially the quote about thinking surely this craziness will end soon. Thanks for pointing me to this article. I have hope in our youth.
My book club is reading Your Name is Renee, about a Jewish child who was hidden in occupied France. It’s not a new publication, but it may interest you.
Such a moving poem, Margaret! And Erin’s video was even more impacting than I imagined. What she managed to share in under two minutes — I was so amazed! Very profound, deep thoughts from such a young girl.