THE HOLOCAUST (2)

George Segal

the gas was poured
in from the bottom.
In the terrible struggle
the lights were
switched off,
No one could
see so the
strongest people
tried to climb
higher, realized
the higher they
got the more
air there
was. Or they
tried to push
their way to the
door, past the
wire, push their
way out. A
death struggle.
Which is why
the youngest
and old were
always at
the bottom

by Lyn Lifshin