Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Quotes
Short Stories
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Resources
Syllable Counter
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 3.140.186.201
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
I walk in a busy street, happy faces everywhere Coats buttoned tight against the cold, Stomachs full, warm shoes on their feet. They don't know. My grandparents limped through the streets Cold, starving, wearing tattered coats. Barefoot in Germany in winter, for a crime of birth Convicted by fear, jealousy and hate. It is autumn, and all around me the colors explode As if a giant splattered paint from his brush On the landscape, his canvass, until sated. He didn't know. My family endured colorless years The only hue the yellow stars they were forced to wear To mark each as something less than a person, Exempt from even the most basic human rights. There's a chill in the air this time of year Smoke billows from the chimneys of dozens of homes And bonfires litter the neighborhood like cinders They don't know My mother can't see a chimney without crying Reminders of the chimneys at the camp Where her friends, relatives and nameless Jews Were released as grey smoke to hover and signal release. Everyday I see people covered in tattoos. Tattoo shops pop up offering expensive artwork Anywhere on the body, some covering every inch. They don't know. My mother had a tattoo way before they were popular. She did not choose it -- it was forced upon her by her jailers. A number tattooed in black on the inside of her arm Her only hope of being identified if she survived. The children born today have choices, And must never allow a "Holocaust" again; Choices to wear, eat, watch, think, and love what and who they want. Make sure they know.
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required