What happened?
Created | Updated Jan 4, 2003
My mother told me…
it all started before I was born.
When an important man got shot.
Some, precious prince.
A war then started and it was lost.
People got mad
angry
upset
They heard a voice that made promises.
They listened to him,
but the message wasn’t one that shouldn’t have been followed.
It was only an escape for the desperate.
However, back then everyone was desperate.
We were that escape.
Jews
First we were singled out.
Forced to wear special badges,
She shows me one she kept,
From all those years ago.
It’s yellow,
it has a word that I don’t understand on it.
My mother translates it to the word
‘Jew’
I don’t see the problem…I like stars.
What was so bad about it?
The star is on the flag we sometimes put up.
My mother says that at first it was worn in pride.
Quickly it became a curse.
Abuse,
Torment,
Isolation.
War was announced.
Again.
People weren’t shocked.
People weren’t surprised.
They had been preparing for it all along.
My mother says that some Jews fled,
some Jews hid,
some Jews tried to make a stand,
some Jews just stayed.
Some were then caught,
And taken.
At first they were rounded up into houses.
That were called Ghettos.
Later they were taken to camps.
Things happened in there,
Things that should never be repeated,
Things, which I am too young to hear.
Then why am I being told this?
Why do I need to know abut what happened?
Because my mother was told by her mother,
And her grandmother told her.
Now it’s my turn to learn it.
Because we must never forget.
it all started before I was born.
When an important man got shot.
Some, precious prince.
A war then started and it was lost.
People got mad
angry
upset
They heard a voice that made promises.
They listened to him,
but the message wasn’t one that shouldn’t have been followed.
It was only an escape for the desperate.
However, back then everyone was desperate.
We were that escape.
Jews
First we were singled out.
Forced to wear special badges,
She shows me one she kept,
From all those years ago.
It’s yellow,
it has a word that I don’t understand on it.
My mother translates it to the word
‘Jew’
I don’t see the problem…I like stars.
What was so bad about it?
The star is on the flag we sometimes put up.
My mother says that at first it was worn in pride.
Quickly it became a curse.
Abuse,
Torment,
Isolation.
War was announced.
Again.
People weren’t shocked.
People weren’t surprised.
They had been preparing for it all along.
My mother says that some Jews fled,
some Jews hid,
some Jews tried to make a stand,
some Jews just stayed.
Some were then caught,
And taken.
At first they were rounded up into houses.
That were called Ghettos.
Later they were taken to camps.
Things happened in there,
Things that should never be repeated,
Things, which I am too young to hear.
Then why am I being told this?
Why do I need to know abut what happened?
Because my mother was told by her mother,
And her grandmother told her.
Now it’s my turn to learn it.
Because we must never forget.
