Nobodies

Zlatka and I

Passed by a group

Of Black Triangles,

Aryan girls

Who thought they were better.

Grabbing Zlatka’s arm

I tried to walk faster.

I wanted

To run.

But Zlatka said,

Do not show your fear.

And walked by as if

On a stroll home from shul

On Friday night.

First came the word,

Juden!

Only a word,

Jews!

But on their lips,

A curse,

An insult,

A threat.

Then more words

Spat out

In a dialect

I was thankful

Not to understand.

I tried to walk faster.

I wanted

To run.

But Zlatka said,

They are nobodies.

And walked by as if

We were the only two people

On the earth.

Then came the stones,

Hard,

Sharp,

Painful

Against my arm.

Zlatka’s head.

A trickle of blood

Down her temple.

She did not flinch.

I tried to walk faster.

I wanted

To run.

But Zlatka said,

They can only kill us.

And walked by as if

She were not afraid

Of death.

Back in the Koje

I cleaned Zlatka’s wound

As best I could

With the hem of my striped uniform

And no water or soap.

Bronia, Guta, and Giza

Gathered round.

What happened?

Are you hurt?

Who did this?

I answered,

Nobodies.

Zlatka smiled.