A Jewish Life

The life of a Jew has its ups and downs,
But that changed in the second war of the world.
I had my moments of joy and happiness
Before the Nazis came,
And the chaos began in the camp.

At the age of 14, I wore gray clothes,
Ate little food,
Worked a lot,
And watched my loved ones sleep.

I was kept alive for some reason,
A reason I want hidden,
But all that mattered to me was breathing
And surviving.

I am not fragile
Or weak.
Everything to me was training,
And I made my escape through one kill
At the age of 15.

Feeling little remorse of the uniformed man,
I vowed revenge for two things:
The pride of my blood,
And the separation of my family.

Traveling day and night, I fell nearly dead
For the uniformed man had good friends with their taste for revenge.
I struggled and kicked,
And I never gave up
Till the sleepy sensation of liquid consumed me.

I awoke in chains with cuts and sores
And found one man with an expressionless complexion.
I stood to my feet and held my ground,
While the whip of his hand crumpled me senseless.

On and on it went for so long,
But I never cared because I can't feel anymore.
I am not shocked that death did not come,
So I never gave up and never gave in.

Through long nights and days,
Sunlight kissed my face,
As I was dragged by loops of rope
And wearing my mask of dignity.

At the age of 16, my punishment was never over.
I hunger and thirst for my giving to others,
And as my pain lingered,
One boy healed me of sorrow.

I remembered him as bright as day.
He was compassionate, kind, and charming,
The very opposite of me,
And the next few months was seconds in my time.
He was buried alive beneath the soil
Because of his crimes of saving a life.

My tears were shed once,
And once is enough.
The next event led me to an evening with Death.

At the age of 17, my torment prolonged.
I was nearly beaten to the ground,
But I now realize why my life continued.
It was for their joy and my people's lost hope,
And I will never give in to their satisfaction.

The very next day I was working again,
But my physical condition did not last.
The uniformed men carried me away
To the chambers of toxic gas,
Where the weak are put away.

However, I will not classify myself as weak,
Especially if I am all alone,
And before the final doors closed,
I took in the expressionless man the day before,
Knowing that my end needs to be worthwhile.

So, I made the man weak and afraid
Very afraid,
Before the air turned off
And before my last breath.

When the uniformed men came in to drag me away,
They will find the expressionless man,
Deformed of appearance,
With eyes of fear and a message from his blood.
It says, "I never gave up and I never gave in."