Into the Light: Safe Haven, 1944

INTO THE LIGHT: SAFE HAVEN, 1944 “And you that shall cross from shore to shore…are more to me and more in my meditations, than you might suppose.” Walt Whitman, “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” Thank God for you, Henry Gibbins, ship of dreams laden with bedraggled brethren dark and fair, tall and short, all frail-boned and gaunt, each and every one a survivor reborn in the wake of conscience. Blessed, their leader, Ruth Gruber; praised, her leader, Franklin D. Roosevelt; and you, Captain Korn — commanding officer extraordinaire — your kind face and outstretched arms, the ship’s crew — their smiling faces, helpful hands; the stalwart bulk and hallowed halls, sky-crowned decks surrounded by sea-speckled rail — far cry from barbed wire. Joy, the glistening white toilets; divine, clean fresh air that fills sunken chests, lungs ashen from the fires of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Treblinka… And you, buoyant sea, revered for strong currents and changing tides; and you, gulls that glide the breeze, assuaging wounded spirit. “Are you America?” And you, huge dining hall bejeweled with vegetables, cornucopia of meats, kaleidoscope of sweets that swell shrunken bellies, smooth withered souls; the soft pillows and ample blankets nestled in tier after tier of bunks, the nightmares you help smother, sweet dreams you set in motion; talent shows, chess tournaments, movies, musicales. “Are you America?” “Yes, you are America — my America! Land of the free, home of the brave!