I Am Holocaust

I wake up screaming every night

From visions in my head

I wished I would, I wished I might

Just die here in my bed

The many things I’d seen and done

Imprison now my soul

My innocence, of which I’ve none

A demon came and stole

Was drafted into decadence

To join this chosen horde

A wicked horde of insolence

With hell to look toward

Our clanging train was Poland bound

They didn’t share too much

We’ll guard the Jews who mill around

We’ll keep the peace and such

We reached this winter wonderland

Made prisoners dig a trench

I’m missing so the Fatherland

I can’t believe this stench

Aligning unarmed family men

Their wives and children too

We carried out our orders then

And shot them thru and thru

I led a woman, child in hand

To that secluded place

I couldn’t do it quite as planned

While looking face to face

I told them, “It’s your lucky day

I’ll set you free instead”

So when they turned to run away

I shot and killed them dead

My gravest sin you couldn’t know

It justifies my fate

The reason I’m tormented so

What keeps me up so late

Within a book upon a shelf

The secret no one knew

The hidden truth about myself

That I was too, a Jew