En Route From A to B
On average, the entire journey
would maybe take
the best part of four whole days
…
Yes, it was a long way indeed
From Amsterdam to
Bergen-Belsen back in the day
…
And get this, there was never
more than standing room in any
case, and then ..
…
Only if you were very, very lucky
No toilet stops,
no buffet car or restaurants ..
…
Just a bucket for each cattle truck
if you were lucky ..
One way tickets only, no voids ..
…
Returns and certainly no refunds
were allowed
Not a single bloody one ..
…
Yet strange as it may now seem
whole families might often be
accommodated thus, regardless ..
…
Though, the bastards as was,
could not cope and so lost
countless wretched souls in that way ..
…
While exact numbers may yet vary
it is now known almost a million
innocents passed en-route from A to B ..
-
Author:
Neville (
Offline) - Published: July 23rd, 2021 14:08
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 55
- Users favorite of this poem: Lauraš», Fay Slimm.
Offline)
Comments6
Neville,
The unspeakable atrocities committed against the helpless who never desired such a trip from A to B. Unfortunately,
āalmost a million innocents passed en-route from A to Bā.
I became aware of these despicable facts when I read āThe Diary of Anne Frankā.
Lauraš»
.. she was in the back of my mind throughout my friend .. many thank you's Laura š»
Every line in your exposure of such evil makes that route from A. to B etched indelibly on hearts and minds of all generations - - may that four day hellish journey never ever be relegated to history. A read to remember with bowed heads Nev.
Thank you Fay .. a sombre read but something certainly compelled me to pick up my pen and jot down a few notes .................... take care n stay safe : )
A necessary write, Neville.
My mind still has a hard time getting around the scale of it all.
Your poem helps.
you aint the only one JR .. me too .. but am gonna thank you on behalf of every single one of them ..
Neville
Forced to abandon this topic for a long time. Immediately after the war, it was informational overload - because not only British prisoner of war escape stories, which I read avidly and enjoyed (to the victor goes the spoils ā and the propaganda) but accounts and news reels (covering the opening of the camps) were in abundance also. Nightmares as a kid.
Latterly, not so long ago, a fortnight spent in Berlin for the art galleries and modern architecture forced me to do the rounds covering this once more. And once more wished I had not.
In this context, I have to tell you Nev your writing is too good and bought this up too vividly for me.
Not a criticism ā others may need to wake up.
I certainly understand where you are coming from DD .. and under the circumstances, appreciate your comment maybe even more .. N
And let's not forget that there were more routes than A - B. All up Six million made similar trips to similar destinations...
12 million is now thought to be a conservative estimate if one includes all the specifically targeted and likewise persecuted groups ........................................................................................................................... N
Thanks for that, Nev - I've always accepted the six million, and that was far too much to cope with.
Also very aware that while the majority were probably Jewish, as you point out other groups also. Persecuted minorities.
You haven't got a reference for that figure have you?
As I've made plain, I want to forget this, but with the rise of right wing extremism, feel the need to be informed and prepared...
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/documenting-numbers
.......................................neither pretty nor a bedtime read .. take care, stay safe .................................. N
Got around to investigate this morning (received late at night - wasn't going to do that then).
Unfortunately your link results in an 'Error 404' at a USHMM page now.
I used the search engine attached there but none of my keywords bore fruit.
You might be better at navigating that site than me, Nev...........
That route from A to B was an absolute nightmare for those who travelled it and lost their live in doing so.
Even today it is said that no birds sing at Belsen.
Andy
... absolutely .. I have visited Auschwitz myself and it is true, no birds sing there either .. thank you for todays visit .. I appreciate it is not everyone's cup of tea ... N
A fine write Neville.
The time for the wicked's judgement will come - as in my recent poem.
If it was not so serious - meanwhile - me trip to the Co-op and back is bad enough. Doh! Why am I complaining, when there's this that happened?
Thank you Mr. O .. I do like to think so ..
It has to be so really, or else they get away with it...
To be able to comment and rate this poem, you must be registered. Register here or if you are already registered, login here.