ON VIEWING KEN BURNS’ DOCUMENTARY “THE U.S. AND THE HOLOCAUST”
Some made it. Some did not.
You hear their stories here.
It is as if by lot.
Some made it. Some did not.
Who chose which straws they got?
No answer’s ever clear.
Some made it. Some did not.
You hear their stories here.
They want their stories told
so no one can forget.
They hold on and they hold.
They want their stories told.
Though they are frail and old,
they are not finished yet.
They want their stories told
so no one can forget.
We listen and we think,
How could they be so strong?
How low can countries sink?
Then look around and think,
We too are on the brink.
We may not have too long.
We listen, and we think,
How could they be so strong?
We hear their stories here.
Some made it. Some did not.
No answer’s ever clear.
We hear their stories here.
We listen, and we fear
we too may draw their lot.
We hear their stories here.
Some made it. Some did not.
—from Poets Respond
September 27, 2022
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Bruce Bennett: “Ken Burns’ powerful new documentary on the Holocaust is also a reminder of where we ourselves may be heading as a country. Can anyone who knows of the recent attacks on libraries and books, for example, not think of those when watching the scenes of book burnings? And there is so much more.” (web)
