My life changes in an instant
In a blink of an eye
I watch my past in only memories
I look back and wonder
How, how has life come to this
My life now consists of fear
Fear, sadness, and hope only
Many other emotions overshadowed
My true happiness comes when I can be free
When all the other stars are free along with me
Along with the stars, the plants, and the moons
All thatare trapped with us in that fake sky
I cannot wake from this nightmare
Now come and watch the horrifying real nightmare
I arrived here with my family and many others
We were split up
My Dad and Brother taken
And I shed a tear good-bye
For they weren’t coming back
But that I did not know
Awhile was our wait as my Father and Brother
Left in their line into a building
With big smoke in the chimney
Hours passed and the line did not return
We asked our guard
He laughed the cruelest laugh I have ever heard
He harshly said to look up at the smoke
And that, that’s where my Father and Brother were
A pile of ash, a puff of smoke
And that man, that main said it so plainly
As if he was showing us the apples in a store
No sympathy left his mouth
His eyes shining proudly as if he just defeated the enemy
And won the war
That first day my hope ran away
Leaving just a sliver to keep living everyday
A week later or maybe a year I lost count
I sat wondering with my starving stomach
And the “new” clothes tattered
Does not one person miss me, my Father, my Brother
Does anyone care about us out here
Or are we no longer considered human
Our own human rights taken away
Is there any hope left for me?
Am I even a person?
As days go on that chimney smoke still comes in puffs
And I wonder when it will be my turn
I hear the screams and the shout that were once said
And the thought deafens my ears
I see the faces of those people in the smoke
See the crackling fire
That blinds me
I feel that I can smell the ash
As if I was stepping into the fire
And that scares me
I lay awake at night
Thinking of my Father, Brother, and my still alive Mother
And I worry who will be next…
Is it morning now or is it night?
The guards have come in
Woke my Mother and I
Their eyes are piercing
Their tongues a whip
As sharp as can be
And each word that is spoken
I can feel the hatred
Hatred, such a horrible feeling
To be hated and to hate
But every day surrounded by hatred
I step closer
And my heart closes up
They took us outside
With fierce pushes
My Mother stumbles
And they just push harder
I wonder where their heart is
Has it been locked away
We join another group
A group of torn and morning families
I look around at the kids younger than i
No laughing child
No faint smile
Not even the glimmer
That belongs in every child’s eyes
We try to joke to cheer them up
But few words leave my lips and many others
Not even a fake chuckle
But what I do see is dull eyes
Only a shadow of the old laughter
A shadow blanketed
By fear, by sadness, by loneliness, by terror
I myself have only a tiny amount of hope left
But soon I fear even that will be gone
We are led into a house
Without a chimney, though
And we leave with numbers on our arms
That is all we are now simple numbers
To them we have no names
To them we are nothing but imperfections
That must be eradicated
A disease an infection
But not even as important as that
But I know deep down
I am still a person
We are lead back
To those things the call our houses
Those around me lie down to sleep
But I stay awake
Unable to fall asleep
Because I know no matter what I do
This nightmare will be what I wake up to
Every morning
The sun comes up
And my arm stings worse that a bee sting
A tear comes down my cheek from the pain
It surprises me that any tears are left
But one thing is for sure
Only one tear trickled down
And that is no surprise
My last tear
The sun no longer makes me smile
It just brings more torture and pain
It no longer makes me smile
But yell out in pain
The heat no longer soothes me
But sears my skin
My red skin, my sunburn
Water is scarce and food even less
And I try to remember
A time when I was full
But my memory fails me
A bird’s chirp is no longer a song
But simply mockery with music
As days go on weeks, months
My nightmare continues and worsens
My strong Mother so frail
I wonder where my strength has gone
Now, even my dreams do not escape these walls
They only consist of fire
More and more people come in
And more and more leave the only exits
The Gate of Death
My ears fill with the piercing screams
Of babies crying and yelling
Of children no orphans or dead
And of moms and dads shrieking
My eyes see
The salty tears of a broken father
The blackened ashes of child and baby
The mothers yearning in distress for their children and husbands
My memories consist of dreadful thoughts and sights
I hear none of the outside world
My question’s only response is cold, harsh laughter
That sends chills down my back
Now my thoughts and surroundings only scare me
And I, a mouse, have nowhere to run

From the threat of the snake winding its way closer and closer
Waiting for it to pounce and nothing but blackness left
Night comes and I sleep not to dream, not to relax
But, just to sleep
Morning comes in darkness
With huge racket outside
My Mother and I leave the sleeping area and go outside
There they collect people, or numbers I should say
My Mother and I are called
Together we walk in a line so long
And this time I know where we are going
It is time for the end
I do not look at it as the end
But an escape from the nightmare
And I know my Brother and Father are waiting
We come to that horrid building
From so long ago
No tears are shed
For my last tear was cried long ago
The line continues walking
I look up at my Mom
Who is this broken woman?
Once so strong
The start of the line steps into the building
Chilling screams pierce the air
I hear them for the last time
I think about my life
My old dreams before this nightmare
And I wish I could have accomplished them
And for once I remember that smile I used to have.
My mother and I walk into the building
I look at her and she looks at me
And together, we hold hands
I can feel the heat of the flames on my face
Together my mom and I,
We step into the fire
The heat is unbearable
I scream
As the toxic smoke fills my lungs
I choke
I am not scared
I can still feel my Mom’s hand
I know I did not mean much
Only a nine year old girl
But as I start to leave the earth
I want to cry
But my tears are gone
My Mom next to me
And I feel her comfort one last time
As the world darkens around me
I am not scared, for my Brother and Father
Are waiting.
I look forward to seeing them
I wake from my nightmare
With death.
And all is gone.
Darkness and silence.
My life ends in an instant.