Sunday, May 24, 2015

#19 Despair in the Dawn (Treblinka Death Camp)

Oh to the discoveries of horror
Of monsters we wish we could ignore
The stench will eternally linger
The wound will remain an open sore
The road was black with ashes
Our victory trumpets would sound
But more was lost in the moment
When none of the prisoners were found
The machinations in this prison
Were filled with plenty of clues
The haze in the sky was repulsive
As we realized the unbearable truth
Only their dust and their memories
Would echo along in the wind
We have no comprehension of their potential
Of who they could have been



I can only imagine how horrific it must have been at the death camps in Germany. This poem is about the discovery of the death camp at Treblinka by the Soviets. The Nazis had already retreated by the time the soldiers arrived. I wonder how long it took for the Soviet soldiers to realize that this place was an extermination site. 

Prior to their retreat, the Nazis destroyed any documents and attempted to hide any evidence of Treblinka being a death camp. But the evidence, is overwhelming. The last mile of the road leading to Treblinka was pitch black from cremated ashes and remnants of teeth and bones were found in the surrounding soil. To come across this prison but to see no prisoners, and then to discover that all the prisoners were executed, I can't even begin to comprehend the emotions the Soviet liberators were feeling.

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