Macht Poems

Arbeit Macht Frei

The first weakening of night 
picks out telephone lines, 
black against sky. 

The eyelid of a garage door 
lurches laboriously up. 
A car coughs blue breath. 

With aerosols and plastic scrapers 
clandestine delights of frostwebs 
are raked to chemical sludge. 

Starter motors whine. 
Windshields cloud with pain. 
Gears grind teeth. 

An electric train 
gingerly 
utters

Categories: macht, work,
Form: Free verse

ARBEIT MACHT FREI



work
doesn't
kill
anyone
idleness
does
if you don't have work to do,
to have productive leisure,
while you rest,
peel potatoes, or break rocks.
cut logs for the fire...
you will live happily your whole life...!

Categories: macht, allusion, analogy, humorous, perspective,
Form: Burlesque

Arbeit Macht Frei

A victim of the Holocaust
Laments so many lives were lost
Their Christian friends
Can't make amends
Although they all have double-crossed

Categories: macht, word play,
Form: Limerick

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

Abattoir Macht Frei

I arrived here in the morning,
I do not know the hour,
For I was taken without warning, 
And did not have the power
To resist those men in grey.

From the box car I was led,
Through a great big iron gate.
"Abattoir Macht Frei", it read
So for freedom I now wait.
But that was yesterday.

I’ve had no food nor sleep

Categories: macht, analogy, animal, death, holocaust,
Form: Verse

Arbeit Macht Frei

The first weakening of night 
picks out telephone lines, 
black against sky. 

The eyelid of a garage door 
lurches laboriously up. 
A car coughs blue breath. 

With aerosols and plastic scrapers 
clandestine delights of frostwebs 
are raked to chemical sludge. 

Starter motors whine. 
Windscreens cloud with pain. 
Gears grind teeth. 

An electric train 
gingerly 
utters

Categories: macht, society,
Form: Free verse

Arbeit Macht Frei

We were afraid 
Constantly 
Afraid 
They could 
Kill us at any moment 
For no reason suitable 
For taking a life 
Little food 
Little water 
Little salvation 
Nothing but work 
After all 
Arbeit Macht Frei 
Is what we lived by 
Every day 
Forced to live by it 
To have it mockingly 
Branded into us 
But 
It

Categories: macht, abuse, fear, holocaust,
Form: Free verse

Das Macht Nichts

Look in a mirror
notice your face
Is it you ?
or has someone
taken Your place
What do you see
explore each line,
Somewhere near
among the features 
you will find
that your face
is just a mirror
That reflects
your thoughts
and wishes
Meditate and
self-reflect
And you can do this
while doing dishes 

Do you want to hear it again ?

Categories: macht, mirror, spiritual,
Form: I do not know?

Arbeit Macht Frei

Where are these cattle cars taking us to?
  Instantly a stench travels through my pours.
A sign translates “Work sets you free.” For Jews?
Children are shaking from their very core,
men on one side, woman on the other.
We’re stripped of belongings, to the showers.
Chaos breaks out, a scream from my mother.
Nobody runs to their loved ones,

Categories: macht, death, fear,
Form: Sonnet

Arbeit Macht Frei

ARBEIT    MACHT     FREI  *

Each metro station should have this sign.
Descend  to  the hot abyss,  to the line.
Steel  monster  vomits people to the platform,
Ingests another  load,  another swarm.

Roar of machines.  No  protest  voice -
Up the  Mauthausen

Categories: macht, workpeople, people,
Form: Couplet