08.16.09

Fürstenburg

Posted in Uncategorized, poetry, music news at 12:23 am by Deb

For those of you who have not yet read about the European trip, there are a few stories and more info in earlier posts in this blog.  For those of you who already know about it, here’s what is finally beginning to come out of it…

I wrote the following poem thinking of this image of the town.  I was haunted for a long time by the lack of resistance in the town.  I have come to realize that everyone was terrified of being sent there themselves and didn’t dare make any waves.  This camp was for the “asocial”, which meant anything from homo or bisexuality to being friends with Jews, having a child out-of-wedlock, moving too often, being unemployed or changing your job too often, being a “rebel”, being the “wrong” race or nationality or more.  After being part of the orchestra recreation in Berlin then at the camp, I had many dreams of running from Nazis, of hiding from them and of hiding others who were running.  I thought I would write a song when I got home, but no music has come.  When I finally got a free day, I decided to just write and see what came out.  I wrote two poems yesterday.  This one and another that I will post later.  The second one has music with it that I wrote years ago and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.  I welcome feedback.

Fürstenburg (8/14/09)

Across the lake, the sentinel stands

Witness to all the atrocities that have come before

He stands silent now as they were silent then,

and then silenced forever.

But who will cry out?

Who will tell their stories?

The layers of ashes at the bottom of the lake

Ripple and roil as if crying out,

“We are dead but never gone.

Tell our stories!  Sing our song!

You must never forget!

We must never forget.

And the sentinel stands, silent as ever,

Knowing that time passes.

The crucifix atop his long arm reaching up and up

And out across the ages seems to laugh,

Reminding us of all the horrors committed

in the name of God, in the name of Nations.

But that was then, and this is now,

And now I sit and wonder what’s really changed?

And do we really still remember?

And will we still remember tomorrow?

Who tells us to forgive and forget?

“To err is human; to forgive divine.”

I forgive and forgive and forgive again and again,

But I will never forget.  Will you?

I can hear the voices of the dead and of the living.

I can see their faces when I close my eyes.

Sometimes I even dream their dreams late at night.

And across the lake, the sentinel stands, watching and waiting.

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