Sidney Beck Poet Verse

The Day We Met

THE  DAY   WE   MET


O cursed was the day we met in Auschwitz   
God had forgotten us  that day    
Another  day of hell     
The brief candle of daylight was snuffed away    
Through the walls of steel
In this prison-coffin  built
O cursed was the day we met in Auschwitz   
What was our guilt ?


O hateful the day we met  in Auschwitz   
When  dawned their hatred  for us    
Out of the darkness    
   -In their twisted animus
   -Out of their  hands of bloody butchers  
   -Out of their  hearts of cold steel
O hateful the day we met in Auschwitz   
To whom could we appeal ?


O hopeless the day we  met  in Auschwitz   
Many more  this day  would be dead  
And see no dawn tomorrow     
All our yesterdays  -  fear and dread  -       
Pharaohs had pursued us from time immemorial
From  Egypt,  Russia,  Gerrmany
O hopeless the day we  met  in Auschwitz 
Could  this day  end  only in  infamy?


O hopeful  the day we met in  Auschwitz  
Where in  the day’s mist I found you    
Wandering within barbed wire  wearing  stripes     
Just another skeletal female jew
Until  I saw you smile
The darkness was pierced by sun
O hopeful  the day we met in  Auschwitz  
Should I again allow my sand of time to run?


Oh joyful was the day we met in  Auschwitz    
God was so good to us that day  - by chance 
The darkest hour was just  before dawn   
My  hoped-for  deliverance    
From the  walls of pharaoh’s butchers
Was found In your smile warm and embrace
Oh joyful was the day we met in  Auschwitz    
Can time this  memory  ever efface  ?

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Written for Paula Swanson’s    BESEECH   contest
By Sydney Peck

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Sara Kendrick April 19, 2011 at 2:19 PM Congratulations on your win..Sara

Andrea Dietrich April 18, 2011 at 11:11 PM Oh, my goodness, Sydney. NO WONDER this one got first place. It's like a perfect model for this new poetry form that Paula invented. You really relate to the Jewish people.ARe you jewish too? How to think of something like this? just marvelous creativity!

Debbie Guzzi April 18, 2011 at 2:01 PM an inspired write about a difficult subject and an excellent moral outcome, love is a difficult thing to kill. BIG congrad's on your verse winning Light & Love

Joyce Johnson April 18, 2011 at 8:19 AM Congratulations on a remarkable entry and win. Love, Jyce

Carrie Richards April 18, 2011 at 8:12 AM Oh...wow...this is beyond my expectations...so moving, and powerfully emotional. A wonderful 1st place winning poem! Congratulations!!

Carol Sunshine Brown April 18, 2011 at 7:45 AM Congratulations on your well deserved 1st place win Sydney in Paula Swanson's contest "Beseech". Love, Carol

Jack Horne April 18, 2011 at 6:24 AM Congrats on your 1st place win : )

Elaine George April 18, 2011 at 4:10 AM Ah!!! Sydney, Thi stirs the emotions to tears. So deserving of FIRST PLACE!!!!! Many congrats. Love, Lainie

Emma Mantle April 18, 2011 at 12:53 AM A stunning piece. congrats on your well deserved win. Best wishes Em :)

Linda-Marie Sweetheart April 18, 2011 at 12:52 AM Congrats Syd on your first place win in Beseech contest.. another great top ten victory luv..

Kash Poet April 17, 2011 at 10:01 PM Many Congratulations Sydney on your worthy 1st place win in Beseech contest.Enjoyed your poem---kashinath

Carol Sunshine Brown March 24, 2011 at 7:03 AM I must tell you there have been so many diverse poems shared here at PoetrySoup yesterday and this morning that I am just now being able to read. Each one is a treasure to the poet who wrote it. It is a pleasure to me to be able to read them. I am so happy yours was among the ones I have read today Sydney and I wish you the very best in Paul's contest. Love, Carol

Carolyn Devonshire March 23, 2011 at 1:33 PM I can't even imagine what it was like to be present at Auschwitz, Syd. Through all the death and hardship, perhaps there were some who found solace from others who shared their fate. You really created a masterpiece using the form prescribed for Paula's contest. We hear only of the sadness and it's so uplifting to think love might have brought moments of joy. Truly astonishing poem. Love, Carolyn

Constance La France March 23, 2011 at 1:17 PM Wow, Sydney, this is amazing, I was enthralled from the very first word, I had to read it again, just wonderful, I hope it is a winner in the contest, because it is a winning poem, no matter . . . It brought me right there within the barbed wire, wow~~