Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Nicholas SamarasSeptember 17, 2018

My children and I rode
the comfort of a modern train to Dachau, thinking nothing.

And there is no word enough
to hold history in our mouths and swallow.

No word enough for me to carry to my children,
enough to let them mouth silence

as, together, we descended
the path to the black memorial—

and laid small stones in the shape of the last letter of our alphabet
to build a connecting path to heaven,

the trees beyond us, trudging into the sedate, wordless town.

No word enough to contain
the “oh” of Shoah.

No word enough to gaze on the black-cindered acres
and comprehend the expansive sky that goes on.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Working for the protection of people by safeguarding against the crime abuse is an integral expression of Christian faith. The successor of Pope Francis has the task of picking up where he left off and continuing resolutely. How can that be done?
Peter BeerMay 02, 2025
Francis always encouraged me in our attempt to move forward as an ecumenical community and in welcoming young people from different churches who come to Taizé from all over the world. He was the pope, but also a father and a brother to me.
Brother AloisMay 02, 2025
Pope Francis welcomed criticism—as long as it was not made behind his back.
Sebastian GomesMay 02, 2025
The cardinals have asked Catholics to pray for them and the conclave. What exactly should we be praying for? And should we be scandalized by the intermingling of politics and spirituality?
JesuiticalMay 02, 2025