Holocaust Poem - The Survivors' Verse

 

My writing group read and performed at a Holocaust Memorial Event on January 26th. This is the fourth section of the piece I wrote for the event (there wasn't time for the whole thing) although written for the Event it might apply to any culture under pressure

 

- The Survivors' Verse :

 

Survivors cannot forget, cannot want to forget, to betray those left behind

This is how we remember, by doing those things we have always done

And always will, with or without you, because they tried so hard to finish you

It's who you were, who you are

 

So come break bread, light a candle

Tie fast to the faithful line of history

At this our point in time

Drink deep and remember who you are

 

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

 

There is a time for reaching out and a time for drawing in

A time for trying new things and a time for treasuring what has lasted

There is a time for closing the doors on the storm and a time for opening the windows to the sun

A time for forgiveness, a time for healing and a time for remembering

Each of us only has so much time.