We stood inside
The narrow house in Amsterdam
We heard the chimes
She must have heard that day
We saw her hiding place
The attic she called home
Anne Frank
Betrayed by those she did not know.
We stood aside
Brick ovens in Dachau
We heard the guide
Explain what happened in the camp
We saw the "welcome" sign
"Arbeit macht frei"
Inhabitants
Betrayed by those they did not know.
We stand beside
A precious, loving friend
We hear her devastating tale
Of marriage knifed
We see her anguished face
Bewildered at her loss
Our friend
Betrayed by him she loved the most.
From Marriage Is a Balance Beam, a book of poetry by Carole Bos