They Are Here

Location

There’s a sound of broken glass,

A rush of fear and the sound of dogs.

Our silence is deep,

But I know it won’t last.

 

My mother said a bad man is in charge.

He wants to hurt us because we’re Jews.

She told me and my sister we have to escape,

They are coming to take us far.

 

The glass sounds closer.

The hounds grow closer.

My sister starts to cry.

I think I should, but I do not.

 

My father is strong, but his eyes are small.

He tells my sister to be quiet.

My mother pulls away the rug,

Shoves away the table, with its legs so tall.

 

My sister and I used to play underneath

When we knew not of fear.

When my mother would laugh.

When my father would sing.

 

A pounding on our door.

My sister and I are shoved under the floorboards.

I wait for my mother and father,

But they do not come.

 

The breaking glass is here.

The hounds are here.

My sister cries.

I think I should, but I do not.

 

I cover her mouth with my hand,

They will hear her, they will find us.

I’ve never felt such a terrible fear,

Oh God we’ve been faithful, why is this happening?

 

I pray for God to come and rescue us from the devil.

We have faith, we believe like we should.

The door is smashed open, and shouts are heard.

They are here.

 

My parents cry and shout.

They shout back.

Gunfire.

Then silence.

 

The breaking glass is gone.

The hounds are gone.

My sister cries.

I think I should, but I do not.

 

Years pass, and still this terrible day haunts me.

Like a never-ending nightmare than I can never wake up from.

I still can never hear a dog bark without my own screams echoing in my mind.

We hid from the devil, but Hell still found us.

 

It’s over now.

The war is done.

My sister still cries.

I think I should but I do not.

 

But I am strong.

I survived.

I kneel at my parents’ graves.

And I cry.

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741