Yom HaShoah

In honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) I have decided to share a poem I wrote when I was in high school. I originally wrote it for a poetry contest, which I never ended up entering because I was not completely happy with the result. However I feel it is fitting to share today in remembrance, and in looking forward; it is immensely important to remember that all evil needs is for good men (and women) to stand by and do nothing. 

Never Again

As we look back on the past,

not just the past of our country

but the past of the world,

It is important to see the good and the bad;

the progress we made,

as well as our mistakes.

When Hitler came to power,

he changed the minds

and swayed the opinions of our children,

brought innocence to commit evil,

changed our people forever,

and took them as his slaves.

Slaves to his deranged perfectionist vision,

wiping a people into oblivion.

And the world said nothing.

Our universe as we knew it began to collapse,

we could no longer be ourselves.

We were branded like cattle,

treated like dirt;

and we didn't deserve any of it.

Through harsh laws and concentration camps,

Hitler depersonalized us,

caused us nothing but hurt.

And the world said nothing.

"Children are empty vessels,

you can fill them with love,

you can fill them with hate."

All they needed was love,

all they got was discipline

and a supposed place to belong.

He was just creating an army

for his own use all along.

He taught them to love him,

to hate all the rest.

He said Jews were worthless;

Aryans were the best.

Blond hair, blue eyes, light skin -

Hitler's perfect person.

He was creating a world of 'perfection' -

through nothing but sin.

He destroyed all that was good -

leaving no heart unbroken;

no Jew unbranded;

no family un-separated.

Our hope was lost...

when the world said nothing.

They sat and watched

our dreams crumble.

They saw the evils and turned away -

they said not a word - not even a mumble.

If the opposite of love

is truly indifference,

then we can't help but accuse the world

of never loving.

The world let us down

and broke our hearts.

They didn't need to speak out their apathy -

doing nothing said plenty without a sound.

They didn't help because they weren't affected,

they didn't care until they were hit.

Six million of us gone - for no reason at all.

It took far too long for the world

to cause Hitler's downfall.

They didn't speak up

because it wasn't them.

Jews were hit harder than all the rest.

We were the chosen people -

but according to Hitler;

we were far from the best.

We gave all we had to fit in.

With bright yellow marks

showing what we believed -

we were discriminated against -

hated with an undying passion,

burnt with an undying flame.

Hitler touched so many peoples lives,

killed parents, children, and lovers.

Since that horrific event,

none of our lives will ever be the same.