The Red Army
drew close enough to hear.
The rumble of tanks
explosions of artillery
echoed through the spring air.
Drawing closer
every day.
My heart
nearly exploded
with joy
at the sounds.
Malchow was evacuated.
Another march
to nowhere.
No plan
No destination.
Soldiers
as young as Iser,
more frightened
than I,
ordered to march
us prisoners away.
too weary to go on
left behind to a fate
worse than marching.
Every day I marched
was another day I lived.