There is much work to be done.
The Nazi soldiers need
more workers.
My brother, Saul, is strong,
but he is not here.
He is a shooting star on a mission.
I stand tall. Chest out.
I am a boy wanting to be a man.
They take my father instead.
Mother and I visit him
every week.
He is working in a big field moving rocks.
I know they are heavy because I can
see the strain in the men’s faces and in
their arms as they lift and lug
the rocks to a designated area.
We bring my father food,
but mostly we just bring him us.
The food, he hardly touches,
his stomach punishes him.
He has always had stomach problems.
But he can’t get enough of us.
He swallows us up with his eyes.
We know that he is full
each time we leave him.