Evacuation

The winter wind

Blew in rumors.

The Red Army

Was closing in.

Kommandos

Left after morning

Appell.

More left

During the day.

Rows and rows

Marching

Out the gates

Surrounded by

Guards,

Guns,

And dogs.

Where are they going?

Guta asked.

I don’t know,

Zlatka answered.

Will we go too?

Giza asked.

I don’t know,

Zlatka answered.

Life trickled out

Of the camp.

Only the Muselmanns,

Too weak to move,

Remained.

What will happen

To those left behind?

Bronia asked.

No one answered,

We all knew.

We,

The Union Kommando

Eleven hundred women—

Were among the last

To march

Out of Auschwitz.

After the day shift

Dismantled

All the machinery.