大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War by Nikki Aaron of the Derby Action Desk Team on behalf of Norma Colley and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Evacuee

We went on trains
Some in cars, or the bus
We were told be quiet!
Oh please don't fuss.

We went by train, sister and me
Is this what it means
Evacuee?
We snuggled up tightly
We slept all the way
When we woke up, it was another day.

We stayed in a cottage up north
Mum, sister and me
To the locals we were foreigners at best
Evacuee
We spoke with an accent
We were all frowned upon
When the war is over
Please God let us be gone.

The years rolled by
War came to an end
I started school, though I hadn't a friend
I said to mum, how long will it be
When people stop calling us
Evacuee?

'Til one day in class, my teacher could see
I was very upset being called
Evacuee
She said with a smile
That all families were brave
To leave all belongings in an air raid.

She told the class
Her family had to flee
How proud she was to be called
Evacuee
To pass on experience
To folk too blind to see
Sometimes it was hurtful
To be called
Evacuee.

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