Sarah+P

Sarah Pochobradsky English Holocaust Found Poem Fear, Struggle

Stories We didn’t believe them We didn’t hide We were far away from it It’ll blow over Naïve

Deportation Broke down the door Filled cattle cars Hunted animals, twenty-four hours a day Nowhere we had to hide This is the end

Why are they taking us? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Where are we going? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Nobody answers <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What’s going on? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Frightened <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Where is god?

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mass graves, fire pits, gas chambers <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Shooting, swastika, screams <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">They couldn’t stop <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">More gunshots, they never anymore screamed <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hunger <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This was hell

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Man against man <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Family no long exist <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hated, Murdered <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">So-called friends <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Turn over night <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Unbelievable

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">We knew everything <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It’s up to man <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Strength, Soul <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">So close to death <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Don’t give up <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Together we will survive

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I chose fear and survival as themes for my found poem because during the Holocaust there was a constant fear and a struggle for survival. The poem begins when many didn’t yet believe the stories of the horrors that were occurring. Then at the end they knew everything and they knew it first-hand. They knew about the mass killings and the gas chambers. For my first theme I chose fear. I feel that fear was a huge part of the Holocaust. Those who were experiencing it were afraid of what the day would bring, if they were on the run they were afraid of getting caught, and those who saw it happening were afraid to help because it would bring them trouble for them. Everyday Jewish people were in danger of being killed, the only reason for it being their religion and that is frightening. The second theme I chose was struggle. This is because life in concentration camps, or on the run was a struggle. The struggle to find food, to keep your faith and to stay alive. Even after it was a struggle to cope with the fact that many of their friends and family members had been killed. I wanted all the stanzas to have six lines and have words that were all connected in some way. I also put certain lines together because I wanted the poem to have good flow. I separated lines to put more emphasis on each line. The Holocaust is a horrible event in world history, it’s unbelievable that a group of people could be so hated just because they have a different belief.
 * Rationale **