You Take From Me

You Take From Me was written for a therapist friend whose father went through the Holocaust. She is Jewish. Her parents and siblings were eventually reunited praise God, but everything beyond family, faith and love was gone. They felt fortunate. Both her parents died many years ago. She recently received a notice for her Dad that the German government was demanding reimbursement funds as they claimed they had given him too much. She was outraged and reached out. This was my gift to her: YOU TAKE FROM ME You take from me my home my job my wife my kids This is war you say But you do not ask of me You take from me my freedom voice purpose This is war you say And never ask of me You take my land my safety dreams It's just the way it is in war you know Yet never ask of me And when Your war is finally through and now my internal war has start... This was only war you say And never ask of me Out I'm tossed No need to hold No need to keep There's nothing left no home no place no one not one a few dollars you toss Really only war you know And still... you never ask of me So many years have come and gone My second life as well And yet you say of what we took your home your job your life your wife your kids freedom voice all these things all this all we gave too much so much so much those dollars tossed so many too many for your loss You take from me once more Seventy years later more Although I'm not here for you to take you take once more and never ask of