O, the children too young for tattoos
Of the women forced bald
And the men born of Jews,
The failure of humanity henceforth forgotten
Should not have been buried alive
With you, the ones left and rotten.
It is to be remembered or else it’s killed twice,
Chambered, angered, and blistered
Nude skin of ice
Survivors, lean in closely, hear me, my dears,
A young girl said “people are good at heart”
But your words are different, drenched with tears.
With few of you left, honored may you be.
Permanent black marks and scars, don’t hide,
They symbolize your dignity,
And everything they murdered shall live on:
Your aptitude for life, candor in speech,
And legacy preserved long after you’ve gone.
M.M. Cochran is a YA writer and author of Between the Ocean and the Stars (summer 2022). With an educational background in English and creative writing, she has worked in the journalism industry, as well as the agenting and publishing industry, and she is currently a freelance book editor for her service, Elegant Editing. Now pursuing a career in publishing and becoming a full-time novelist, she spends most of her time editing and writing in her novels. Meanwhile, you can find M.M. collecting coffee mugs or slipping into an oversized sweater, wishing for a white winter.
Featured Image by Cody Black on Unsplash