In Honor of Sir Nicholas Winton

IN HONOR OF SIR NICHOLAS
WINTON

The Avery Coonley School Class of 2019

The elegy began as an ancient Greek metrical form and is traditionally written in
response to the death of a person or group. Though similar in function, the elegy is
distinct from the epitaph, ode, and eulogy: the epitaph is very brief; the ode solely
exalts; and the eulogy is most often written in formal prose.

The elements of a traditional elegy mirror three stages of loss. First, there is a
lament, where the speaker expresses grief and sorrow, then praise and admiration of
the dead, and finally consolation and solace.

Each student composed his or her elegy in stanzas comprised of rhyming couplets.
In addition, many students chose to write their poems from the perspective of a
person closely connected to Sir Nicholas Winton. Their work reflects their skill,
creativity, and most importantly, their respect and admiration for Sir Winton.

Generosity is Always There
(a poem written in admiration for Nicholas Winton)
Maybe it was the end of his life, but it was not the end of his love and generosity,

Like a circle that is filled with curiosity.
He is accepted as family,

By those 669 Jewish children that will love him eternally.
Even though some of those children have never met him.

But they all still feel so grim.

This loss has made these children feel as if,
Their lives have been a complete whiff.

They feel those 8 trains would be lost forever.
As if their minds were like a simple lever,
Changing their thoughts in one small pull.
And now these children’s minds are full
Of these sad and terrible pains.
And to this day that pain still remains.

From Czechoslovakia to England traveled the children of Nicholas Winton.
For those 50 years later, he never hinted in.
He found the key of the freedom gate.

He saved the children from death, misery and miserable fate.
He was celebrated throughout his life,

And for all the great deeds Nicholas will be performing in his afterlife.
No matter what great things Nicholas did,

He will be remembered on the kindness grid.

~Lazar Jovanovic

A Salute Sir Nicholas Winton
(a poem written in admiration of Nicholas Winton)
Sir Nicholas Winton your seventh train marks the end, your rides are done
The children you saved left hurriedly without even finishing their bun

The rails were squeaking
The children were squealing
Riding towards freedom to London
The destination is reached, the children’s ride is done

A savior’s sad death seems simply from old age
As sir Nicholas turns his life’s page
We salute him as his life has ended

The hearts of the rescued children and their families were devastated
As Nicholas Winton left this fine Earth
He left with an understated worth

Sir Nicholas saved many from the pain of concentration camps
Their arms stayed clean of tattoos bearing numbered stamps

The children and future generations will be forever thankful
Their lives were freed and their hearts are forever joyful

The six hundred sixty nine escaped the terror, the work of the devil
Sir Nicholas Winton was like the children’s angel
-Eras M. Malone

(Photo via theguardian.com)

The Disease is Gone
(From the perspective of the children Nicholas Winton Saved)

Your death we will not forget,
There may still be a terrible threat,

Your heart was so kind and pure,
You were the cure,

Your kindness was like our hope and it is lost overseas,
Without you we will have to fight another disease

All 669 of us miss your face,
Your heart will always have a place,

We wish we can see you on our side,
But we can’t since you have died,
your deeds won’t Be lost forever
We will always stand together,

How the disease is now gone,
The countries live on,

No more children being infected,
The ones who live are resurrected,

You drove the enemy away,
We will all see the light of a distant, dazzling day.

-Aadit Bhavsar

Oh Savior
(from the perspective of the children saved by Nicholas Winton)

Oh savior, oh savior, our treacherous escape was successful.
The trains have saved hundreds of children, we are very thankful.

The joyous cries, families reunite, bright happy eyes,
After an expected fulfillment, an expected end too, implies;

Cold, streaming tears, for those who grieve.
The sound which will satisfy, but it shall be very brief.

In my heart, forever will lay,
My savior, who saved the day.

Witness how far your help has brewed.
Six hundred sixty nine cheer for you.

For you, there are celebrations held, memorials arranged,
You sustain a respected reputation, nothing has changed.

Oh savior, oh savior, for whom people mourn.
Like a perfect cloth, that has been torn.
In your memorial they adorn,
With moving memories they mourn.
-Farrin Candido

(Photo via theguardian.com)

Our Savior

(from the perspective of one of the children that Nicholas Winton saved)
(a poem written in grieving and respect for Nicholas Winton)

The man who saved us all
He saved us from more than a fall

Now fearful times are over
So let us rejoice moreover
But now that I see that you have fallen dead
I know there is a split in earth’s delicate thread

And now we grieve
For some horrid force
Has ripped you off your horse

But now there is a reason to rejoice
Although I cannot hear your voice

You saved us! We celebrate!
You stopped from being ate

By some terrible force
Meaner than a Norse

Our savior

-Brandon J. Hornickle

My Winton
(from the perspective of a child saved by Nicholas Winton)

My Winton
My Winton
You saved my life out there
But I wouldn’t dare

On July 1st
It was just the worst

All of our family
All sat there happily
Remembering the time that we had with you
Before the sky was no longer berry blue

Still to this day
I think I can say
That we owe our lives
Before your eyes

My Winton
My Winton
We all deeply care
But we wouldn’t dare

On that train
I thought all of that pain

I was through
That we give our lives to you

You rode in like a hero
Your fear level was zero

My Winton
My Winton
You saved my life out there
But the world wouldn’t dare

-Christopher Gilmartin

(Photo via www.rewordit.org)

O Great Savior

(from the perspective of the children Nicholas Winton saved)

O Great Savior you saved us all
669 children are to call

You brought us from Czechoslovakia to safety
While others were so lazy

And you did this quite bravely
Where you found us a family

Susanne Mathilde
Whose happy ending would never be,

O Great Savior
Whose gentle generosity is not quite general
Each passing day you multiplied in potential

O Great Savior
There is a hole in this world now that you have left

O how can we stand such imbalance of peace?
The one to save us,
And now we suss.

You were knighted in 2003
Right after, you were set free!
O how can we live up to your good deeds?
You were like a super hero powered by our needs
We praise the lord and recognize him in you
And now we have someone to look up to

-Zara Baig

O Sir Nicholas
(from the perspective of a child saved by Nicholas Winton)

O Sir Nicholas, you saved me,
You saved me from death so I could be free.
We were terrified, abused, like a slave just sold,
They left us segregated, alone, and out in the cold.
The world is empty and grim without your name,

Nothing will ever be the same.

O Sir Nicholas, you saved me,
You saved me from the Nazis, and helped me to flee.

But now you are gone, you will never return,
Our hearts long for you greatly, to have you back we yearn.

The skies never sunny, the air never warm,
The clouds crying, a constant storm.

We weep like a willow, not at all tame,
Nothing will ever be the same.

O sir Nicholas, you saved me,
You saved me, but not for the smallest fee.

Your legacy will remain, never undone,
We will not forget you, no, not one.

You saved us from danger, like a shepherd, his sheep,
A new life you gave us, forever to keep.

Gone is the fear, the hopelessness, the shame,
Nothing will ever be the same.

-Zachary S. DeSoto

The One Who Dared
(from the perspective of the children Nicholas Winton saved)
How we all mourn your death
How we fell when you took your last breath
How our sorrow will never end
For you were far more than just our friend

the world will never be complete without you
during your life you flawlessly flew
you always cared
to give us a better life, you dared

During your death
We cried as you took you last breath
But we know you are in a better place
Your soul fluttered away from your pale white face

You were brave enough to fight for us yourself
You carried out your plan as devious as an elf
You knew we could not do it on our own
Stripped us from our loved ones and found us new homes

So for you we celebrate
For you we commiserate
For you we give a cheer
And for you we are adheres

-Ramez A. Rifai

Our Protector
(from the perspective of children saved by Nicholas Winton)

Our protector is dead,
As the report sadly said,
And so many will now fall,
When Sir Nicholas Winton is not standing forth tall.

His death was like a sparrow,
That came in like an arrow,
And the space he left in his place,
Has filled up much of my face,
As of the other children he protected,

They are dejected,
Filled with mountains of sadness,
That cannot be replaced with happiness.

But, although he is dead,
He is remembered for his head,

Which he used to save,
The situation which was grave,

And place,
All the children in their space,

So they could stay,
Out of the gray.

~William Tan

My Savior
(a poem written in admiration for Nicholas Winton)

My Savior, O Savior. You gave the world light.
You were like the sun in the day and the moon in the night.
You gave me hope like a blooming flower gives hope to the spring.

Or like how birds will always hope to someday sing.
Once you came, you hid your fame, for over fifty years.
But once you told, though you had grown old, the whole world was all ears.
My Savior, O Savior. Some you left when they were crawling,
The first time was freedom calling, but this time it sounds like the world is bawling.

You fought for us, and gained our trust,
But getting to know you was a bust.
We wish you had not left,

Because now in our hearts, there is a cleft.
Now that you have gone away,
I look at pages day-by-day.
My picture still lies near the end,

All of us smiling, my brave friends.
-Alyssa C. Jaster

Heroic Vacation
(a poem written in admiration for Nicholas Winton)
Ah Sir Nicholas, so brave and very bright.
He saved 669 children, in World War II, he brought in the light.
Now that terrorists are still attacking,
No one is defending so courageousness is lacking.
Bravery has gained a fever and is very sick,
Without that lovely German and Jewish brave Sir Nick.

His death has filled our hearts with sorrow,
He had an intelligence we wish we could’ve borrowed.
All of those children’s deaths of their lives was what he withdrew.
We all at once wanted to become heroes too!
For this world has darkened like a flashlight’s flick,
Without that brave Sir Nick.

Mr. Winton was a wonderful man,
He was so bold that he was the one who made a stand.
He was a man we honor so,
And we could say he was kind, crazy, considerate, courageous, and very modest from head to toe.
And now that we have known what he’s done,
He has led the Jews like the sun.
For that two-week vacation,
He sacrificed for the nation,
We thought he performed a heroic magic trick,
And that’s why we call him noble and brave Sir Nick.

-Daniel Lee

669 Reasons
(from the perspective of a child saved by Nicholas Winton)

We will miss him,
His death made us grim.
Our days are less bright,
Our days are as gray as our darkest night.

We mourn the loss of our protector,
Who became our connector.
He took upon our plight,
And helped us take flight.
On a train we fled,

While others were left behind for dead.
Chug, chug, went the train,

While our parents looked away in pain.

He is the reason,
I lived to see the seasons.

He was the champ,
Who saved us from concentration camp.

To him I owe my light,
In return I bid him goodnight.

-Elyse Kane

(Photo via www.telegraph.co.uk)

The Day

(from the perspective of a child on the train leaving Prague)

Finally the day has come to leave,
The day to leave those thieves,
I always believed that I could leave,
I never stopped believing,
And now I will soon achieve that belief,

The time has come for 600 children to leave on seven trains,
We will get out of those chains,
And leave the pains of being a slave,
I will be brave,

Chug! Chug! The train went
Not cry to see me leaving where the grave of my parents was buried,
The last thing I have of them are memories,
Before, they were gassed by the Nazis,
It was a tragedy to see,
I save the crying for the final time I see the new world,

That will be my dream world,
I won’t suffer anymore,
I won’t be starved anymore,
I won’t have to dig hole anymore,
And spend my time on nothing anymore,

That war is over,
But I will crossover,
To the free holder,
Of the bolder,
This experience was as bad as a summer with no sun

All thanks to Sir Nicholas Winton,
For sending us on
The most amazing journey to be gone,
Now I can go on,
All because of an amazing person
Sir Nicholas Winton.
-Yaelle Ortiz

A Torch of Hope
(from the perspective of the children Sir Nicholas Winton saved)
The march of the enemy draws near
Alas, the soldiers spread the fear
Your caring arms protect us so
Across the times so long ago
Every train leaves but one
Not a soul, survivors none
Longing for the saving light
Your burning love shines bright
All six-hundred sixty-nine
Remember March fourteenth, 1939

The march of the enemy draws near
Alas, the soldiers spread the fear
The crowds await you on the shore
And yet your work has long been lore
But the drapes of darkness are pulled taut

You, our savior, breathing not
The Earth is grieving, calling your name
For a hero has fallen, who ignited the flame
The fire of justice, in a world without
Lighting a bonfire they can’t put out

The march of the enemy draws near
Alas, the soldiers spread the fear
You are our knight in shining armor,
Who rescued us from the snake charmer
Your modesty and humility
Hides a story that should fly free
You are the light, like a thousand suns
Taking all the condemned ones
An emblem of morality and righteousness
Against the face of heinousness

-Annika C. Geiersbach

I Remember
(from the perspective of children saved by Nicholas Winton)
I remember, the way you would comfort us with that smile
I remember, when you told us that we would not see our parents for a while
You had to leave, I never saw you again
You have never told for 66 years, never where you’ve been
Now you have fallen dead
We dread the day that you have bled,
When we had no more dread

I remember, you were the reason
I remember, we lived to see the seasons
All we would feel is pain
As we looked across the empty plain

We would think of you as if you were the sun to our moon
For us, there will always be something that will loom
You have fallen cold and dead,
Now we have no more dread

I remember, you Sir Nicholas Winton our hero,
I remember, our chances of living were zero
For you, 669 of us were saved
For you knew that freedom, we craved

You knew that never were heroes hit
You knew that we would not quit
Even you said, “If something is not impossible, there must be a way of doing it.”

~Madison Murry

Oh Sir Nicholas!
(from the perspective of children saved by Nicholas Winton)

Oh Sir Nicholas! Where are you we say?
We see you now, in your coffin you lay.

Your courage and dedication stands,
as an example and reminder for people in many lands.

When you were alive you were a symbol of hope.
Now without you, the world will have to cope.

The world will go on,
though we will be woebegone.
You were loved and admired by all.
All were inspired and mournful at your downfall.
Until 106 you held on, never let go, you kept being strong,
you will be remembered as a hero for all our lifelong.

Like a loving parent, you were there to comfort us.
Even when our friends and family were lost to the Holocaust.

The savior of 669 children.
You helped us find safe haven in London.
Without you we would have suffered a terrible fate.
Though our lives were horrific, you gave us reason to celebrate.

~Emilia Krylov

(Photo via www.history.com)

The War

The War, the War
We all had feared
We will celebrate
The children you did liberate

Who would have been killed
Instead of having their lives fulfilled,
By the Nazi Empire
Who had begun to conspire,

You did so much
The lives that you’ve touched,
The Jewish families whose kids would have been lost
You quickly took care of them without any cost,

You had no fear
Did not shed a tear,
You did not care about their race
You only looked at their face,

And saw the terror in their eyes

-Aagam Shah

In My Heart, His Name Engraved

(Written by the perspective of Roxane Bauer, a child saved by Nicholas
Winton)

A knight who helped children survive
I was glad that he was alive

I was one of the children that he had saved
Now, in my heart, his name engraved

696 children all happy to be alive and well
And when he saved me, I yelled

He had a heart with a tag that read
One size fits all, even when all the roses of sympathy were red

Now the sympathetic banner hung high
For all that he did try

And as all the kids waved,
I knew that in my heart, his name engraved

And I saw pure happiness in his eyes
He never told us any lies

And while excitement spread through me,
Everyone shouted shouts of glee

Now, all the roses of sympathy are red
And I know that he is glad to be in his funereal bed

I am glad to be a friend to him
Even when the future was grim
Now that the path he made is clear,

Everyone gives a loud cheer
And when he was sent to his grave,

In my heart, his name engraved

Aashka Trivedi

(Photo via www.waymarking.com)

Winton, the Life Saver

Children struck by the Nazis
Which I would not bare to see
To concentration camps they went
To the darkness they were sent

Youth beaten by war
But Nicholas opened a door
To which lead to Great Britain
For there had been safety for many children

This man who is very fine
Saved 669

But then came his end
Which I wanted to amend

Distance from, you would have denied
Even if I tried

You didn’t deserve to die
But now, down you lie

-Adam Kipp

Nicholas Winton: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

How many children he saved,
The ones that were enslaved.

669 children,
From Czechoslovakia to Britain.

He was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize,
And everyone was sad when he died.
Nicky, he was called,

Then the kindertransport was installed.

He stood strong through World War II.
And all the children still flew,

Even when the world felt like it was covered by a blanket thicker
than scrim,

We are all very proud of him.

Although some children were never known,
They still remember the man who saved them, almost alone.

Although he died one year ago,
His light will forever glow.

-Anika Gupta

To Honor Nicholas Winton

The eight trainloads full of children,
The kids with nobody to call kin,

The trains, carrying the lives of which, you saved,
And whose roads of destiny, you paved,
As the planes flew by, high in the sky,
Something brings me tears, which I cry,

These tears are there,
They cause a dull air,
Nicholas has passed away,
The ones you saved will never forget that day,
It is because Sir Winton is gone,
The day of honor, which we can only look upon,

Will this celebration of life ever last?
Now that the time has passed?

The mourning of some may not go by fast,
Because Sir Nicholas Winton has passed

For me the sky is still gray,
And I still cry to this day

-Christian Turk

A Hand

From the perspective of Susanna Marburg and Helene Mueller

I don’t remember much,
A hand that clutched,

My own,
Small, ungrown,
Hand.
If felt as if there were marching bands,
Saluting you and your grace,
Leading me out of that dark, dark, place,
Where the cruel men stared down,
And a single gaze crushed like a pound.

I can remember it all.
I grabbed my doll,
And ran,

All my fears were as real as the doll I was holding in my hand,
Oh, that fateful night.

We were scared,
Overwhelmed with terror,
In the dark of night,
You led our plight,

Out, to freedom,
Out of the dungeon.

Frightened and afraid,
I left my bed unmade,
Even though Mama told me never to do.
My arms turned black and blue
From the branches of that yew,
That stood outside the iron gates,

Of the prison place.

You,

The man I never really knew,

But saved me,

Little Susy,

From what could have been,

The end.

Thank you for doing it,
I’m sure there was many a time you wanted to quit,

But you kept on going,
Never knowing,

If we would make it out,
But, we defied all doubt,

That night.

-Susanna Marburg, age four at the time of deliverance

-Helene Mueller, age 14 at time of deliverance
-Fiona Reenan

There is Still Light

(From the perspective of John Fieldsend, rescued by Nicholas Winton)

It seemed like the last stand,
Until there was this man.
Nicky’s heart was gold
And his actions were bold.
He risked his life for me,
Marvelously.

He is badly missed.
His generous soul is in our midst.
The memories I carry
Are legendary.
Though I long for him,
My appreciation never grows dim.

Even in the darkest night,
He showed that hope is bright.
He was there when I was in need,
His kindness and good deed.
He let bells ring.
He let life sing.
But now he cannot do that anymore,
The things that I adored.

-Henry Wright

669 Children

669 children
Lose Nicholas Winton
A man they never knew
Saved them without a thank you

He forged and blackmailed
London, it did not fail
He committed creditable crimes
And never asked for a dime

A light that dimmed
The number of deaths he trimmed
Without the knight
The children would lose the fight

The world is at a loss
Of someone who converted to the cross
A humanitarian
Nicholas Winton

-Jaysic Gandurski

The Light of Winton

Humble and loving, I wish I knew you.
Nicholas Winton, you were so true.
Born Wertheimer on May 19, 1909,
A day that was fine.

German Jewish ancestors were his family.
Baptized by the Anglican Church, but he wanted to know his ancestry.

He learned that Jewish children were filling up camps,
He needed to raise money, so he used a lot of letter stamps.

Wanted to rescue them before the Nazis came.
Some left by plane, but the rest by train.
Stockbroker by day, rescuer by night

He saved 669 lives, so many people saw him as a light.
Died on July 1, 2015, without a sound.

A humble and loving man, scrapbook found.
So the world may know what he had tried.
I’m sad and empty to know he had died.

-Kayleigh Harrast

(Photo via www.conservativepost.com)

Savior

(From the perspective of Erich Bauch, a child saved by Nicholas Winton)

The Nazis have taken me
And everybody

We will be tortured
We will be murdered

But, oh! Sir Nicholas is here
His coming is like the lifting of all of our fear

We all get in a train to leave
But we have to leave our parents and grieve

Why have you kept this secret?
When you could have leaked it?

You saved 669 children
And told no men

Now, you have saved many lives
And their existence thrives
The world is a better place

Because you beat the Nazis and won that race

-Logan Hoang

That Mournful Day

(From the perspective of children Nicholas saved and me)

You grew older and older and we lost you
You death like a sadness flu
That mournful day

All of the colorful trees became deep shades of black and gray

Tears dripping down
Sadness spreading around

You saved us from war
The scrapbook you hid from everyone stayed in a drawer

Sadness, so contagious, your death the same
Every child you saved will never forget your name

Person after person fall to their knees
You were the creator of peace

You never told anyone about your story
You were like a spark of glory,

Among the stone hearted people who loved war
You didn’t make saving people seem like a choir

The would became a sad place without you
The sky a deep color of gray instead of the pretty color of blue

You heart could never be full of love
You were as pure of happiness as a dove

Your younger body became older and older
You still have the memory of kids over your shoulder

You made every one proud
Your death like a gray cloud

You selflessness sparkled like a gem
You made it your mission to save them

The day they found you dead
The last night of your life, you laid peacefully in bed

-Maddie Hoden

Do You Remember?

(From the perspective of Samuel Braun, a child Nicholas Winton saved)

Do you remember when he stormed into the camp?
We were sitting in the corner, we were tired, hungry, and damp,

When he snuck into the camp, he grabbed us by the hand,
He looked us in the eye and his arms did expand,

But those were the days where the Nazis ruled,
He had a plan, he was no fool,
He was our hero and savior,
And his love for us we did savor.

He saved so many of us,
He said, please don’t make a fuss,
I’ll get you out of here without the Nazis knowing at all,
We fleeted from the evil camp like a bouncy ball.

Then he left us,
He got on the bus,
We were on our way,
And those memories we had with him, would forever stay.

-Owen McGarry

The Sacrifice of the Century

(Narrator)

(Sir Nicholas Winton’s Wife)

“Grete,” he said,
His last words in bed.
His heavy arm fell to the side,
Down he fell into a deep sleep next to his bride.

His cold, blue lips touched mine,
My tears fell down, drowning my handkerchief so fine.

The things he did, the children he saved,
How much he helped, and I just stayed.

The prince charming, especially the knight,
The scary days, he gave people a fright.
The banners people waved,
And the bugle horns people played.

As nice as those,
Just like a rose.
As old as those,
Like waves saying anything goes.

Having the touch of happiness,
All of the help he put into his craftiness.
The people cheer,
About all of the good things they hear.

When I found the scrapbook,
All the kids found a splendid nook.
And my husband was congratulated with joyous faces,
For giving them all fantastic places.

And for the 669 children,
They were all alone in…

This new world.
That they are furled.

His strong scope, sacrifice,
Left people, thinking concise.
When he left, nothing can be done,
Except celebrating with everyone.

He helped make a difference,
To all the children’s sufferance.
His story today will be carried out,
Because one day all the children will come about.

Today, I still remember the day he came in,
To save us all from where we’ve been.
For I am the narrator who went through it all,
And to thank him in making me halt my bawl.