Living Corpses

The overseer and the Kapos

walked through the factory

stopping at every table.

What are they looking for?

someone asked.

Muselmanns,

someone answered.

Muselmanns

thin as skeletons

joints protruding

dead though they still lived.

Too weak to move

to work

to care.

Ordered to Block 25.

Gone with no complaints.

The overseer and the Kapos

walked through the factory

stopping at every table.

Staring.

Their eyes like X-rays

looking through striped uniforms.

I kept working.

Pretended they were not there.

Busy with work.

Thankful their eyes

could not really see through striped uniforms.