Congratulations to our EXTRA! poetry winners. Each school was permitted to enter one entry per class and the theme was Freedom. Anise Maclean was awarded first place and Yasmin Khan gained third place.

Wind crawls against my skin,
My line of sight marks my way,
Buildings pass me, freedom is near,
Puff, Puff go my lungs,
Pat, pat go my shoes,
Hope, hope goes my brain.
The gates are wide,
I see my goal,
My striped gown waves,
Waving, waving in the wind,
Suddenly shouting comes my way,
My heart beats fast,
My gown waving, waving
The gates clank,
Faster, faster my heart pounds.
“Jew! Jew!” I hear nearby,
I see a gun,
I hear a bang,
My striped gown,
Waving, waving in the wind,
As the gates finally shut,
I lie on the ground,
The shouting stops.
All is fine,
Except for me,
Lying, lying on the ground,
As my striped gown waves.

- Anise Maclean 

                          ~-~

They cannot touch me in my dreams,
Where I am the queen of them all.
Where I may soar over the moon,
To stars much far beyond.
Cage me, jail me, lock me up,
But I shall always be free.
For they cannot steal that away from me,
No one can steal that away from me.
Freedom is in my heart and soul,
The blood coursing through my veins.
I am free and shall always be,
When I am in my dreams.

 - Yasmin Khan