Her face turned upward
Away from the pain of life
To the numbing reality of death
Ashes fell upon her lashes
Made of bone and skin
Was that her brother falling there?
Her mother over the guard tower?
Little Rivka might fall into the snow
She always hated the cold
A family burned into smoldering ashes
Their bodies came through the entrance
Their remains left through the chimney
A single child left to carry on all
Alone
Her tears fell unheeded
Spirits renewed
She was the strong one
Always had been
She would be the soul survivor
Her heart pounded in her boney body
Standing extremely still
Only she knew of her pain,
Her loss
Only she knew her story
Feet thunder past her, she remained still
Guards screaming harsh commands, she didn't flinch
Prisoners screamed in fear and agony, she did not make a peep
Guns and bombs thundered in the distance
Sounding her impending freedom
Her world stood still
Her heart slowed
A foreign emotion ran through her blood
Familiar yet very strange
At last after 5 long years she was
Free
Now she was a face with a name
Not a number with a face
To walk wherever she pleased was exciting
To not belong was shattering
But she would never forget her awful past
No, she was the strong one
The one to carry on