Her Blue Tattoo
Concentration camps in my head.21 total reviews
Comment from Michele Harber
Lisa May, you had mentioned this to me before and I still, somehow, managed to miss it. What a raw, sad, beautiful, touching and poignant poem, and how depressing that history necessitated your writing it. You could have been writing about any number of my ancestors, only a few of whom made it out. Two lines particularly struck me as representative of the lack of feeling exhibited by the people who made the concentration camps, gas chambers and ovens possible:
the Auschwitz ovens yawn
in bored readiness for more
It encapsulates the events of the Holocaust, in the minds of its perpetrators, into nothing more than a relentless, monotonous task. They were gathering items, opening and closing doors, flicking switches to turn on the gas. It seems that never once did they take into account that they were stealing personal artifacts that people had gathered over a lifetime, in preparation for sending these people to a horrible death.
It's hard to believe that people can be so cold, callous, unfeeling and amoral, but you certainly bring the truth of that home in no uncertain terms. Congratulations on your well-deserved nomination, and fingers crossed that you win.
reply by the author on 06-Oct-2019
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Lisa May, you had mentioned this to me before and I still, somehow, managed to miss it. What a raw, sad, beautiful, touching and poignant poem, and how depressing that history necessitated your writing it. You could have been writing about any number of my ancestors, only a few of whom made it out. Two lines particularly struck me as representative of the lack of feeling exhibited by the people who made the concentration camps, gas chambers and ovens possible:
the Auschwitz ovens yawn
in bored readiness for more
It encapsulates the events of the Holocaust, in the minds of its perpetrators, into nothing more than a relentless, monotonous task. They were gathering items, opening and closing doors, flicking switches to turn on the gas. It seems that never once did they take into account that they were stealing personal artifacts that people had gathered over a lifetime, in preparation for sending these people to a horrible death.
It's hard to believe that people can be so cold, callous, unfeeling and amoral, but you certainly bring the truth of that home in no uncertain terms. Congratulations on your well-deserved nomination, and fingers crossed that you win.
Comment Written 06-Oct-2019
reply by the author on 06-Oct-2019
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Thanks for spending time with this poem. The Holocaust fascinates me with its macabre happenings. I just cannot understand how people can slip into boredom or 'just doing my job' mentality when other people's lives are in their hands. Your family suffered directly, so this page of history is still damp with tears and forever stained.
It horrifies me that anti-Semiticism keeps rearing its head, as does persecution and hatred for other ethnic groups and religions.
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I know. Millions of people killed for nothing more than believing in a different god. I was thinking, this morning, about the various 9/11 attacks (remember, there were attacks that day beyond the one in NY). Do you know what everyone of those terrorists had in common? They were ? MEN! I personally think all men should be held accountable for the 9/11 attacks and, of course, no man should be allowed to enter the United States.
That, of course, makes as much sense as holding 9/11 against everyone who considers him or herself Islamic, which makes as much sense as Nazis hating people for believing in Judaism. If only we could get more people to realize how ridiculous their prejudicial ideas are, the world could actually be a better, more peaceful and forgiving place. Not that I expect that will happen, but wouldn't it be nice if ??
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I get fascinated about prejudice. It makes no sense to me to define individuals into groups and judge the group. A person is a person is a person.
Your 'logic' about men shows how those misguided others think.
"The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively, not by the false appearance things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice." Arthur Schopenhauer
" Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible." Maya Angelou
"Prejudice of any kind implies that you are identified with the thinking mind. It means you don't see the other human being anymore, but only your own concept of that human being. To reduce the aliveness of another human being to a concept is already a form of violence." Eckhart Tolle
"The less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice." Clint Eastwood
... and that is what is making our less secure world more extremely prejudiced, unfortunately.
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Thank you for those brilliant quotes, Lisa May.
We're raising our daughter to believe that people are people, and it seems to have taken. Several of the boys she's been interested in have been Latino so, when she mentioned a boy she's been hanging out with in the park, I asked her if he, too, were Latino, and she irately accused me of asking a prejudicial question. I explained that it wasn't prejudice, just curiosity, but I love that even the possibility of prejudice had her that offended.
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That's so funny - that your daughter would call you out on what you have taught her. You'll have to watch what you say around your daughter - she is seeing things through the parental lens that is now her own. Good for you both. We all need to stay offended and indignant about prejudice and racial stereotyping.
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Absolutely! The funny thing is that I married a Caucasian Jewish man by chance (we were a fix-up). He's actually the only Jewish man I've ever dated. My friends now are a little of everything, but my college friends were Italian, Irish and Greek, and in high school I hung out with the black guys in my theater class, so I guess that my daughter doesn't have to worry that I'm going to limit her prospects.
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That will be a relief for her.
My Dad was a civil servant in the Department of immigration and we often had new arrivals at our dinner table. In Australia my friends were internationally varied, I had a Greek partner for 3 years (with a son, the closest I got to parenthood), but here in Southern New Zealand my friends are mostly causasian white, with a Turkish friend and a Chinese young woman. My part-time 12 yr old boy has a Czech background. I don't personally know any Maori people.
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I love that. Passover Seders, when I was growing up, were a league of nations. My sister's best friend was Indian, my friends were Italian and Greek, with one Caucasian Jew thrown in for good measure. I also occasionally had a couple of Puerto Rican friends over. Yes, unlike Donald Trump, I do realize Puerto Ricans are American citizens. It's just that it made for quite the array of skin tones an accents.
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I am drawn to the exotic and tasty. I love 'difference'. It always intrigues me how some travellers can't survive if there isn't a Macdonalds franchise handy.
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When I travel, I try to steer clear of what I can get back home. Otherwise, why did I leave??
Comment from patcelaw
May we never be a people who forget the sacrifice that was made by the Jews in the Holocaust. Thanks for this poem as a reminder to the readers of the evil that took place.
Patricia
reply by the author on 10-Sep-2019
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May we never be a people who forget the sacrifice that was made by the Jews in the Holocaust. Thanks for this poem as a reminder to the readers of the evil that took place.
Patricia
Comment Written 10-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 10-Sep-2019
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I agree with you.
This reminder about the Holocaust is also a reminder to guard against discriminaton today.
Comment from Raffaelina Lowcock
A worthy remembrance. The poem is full of the truths that we are all aware of and depicts once again the fact that evil lives within the world and how it manifests itself. Your talent is exposing that we should always beware and never let our guard down when it comes to leaders. Nicely done.
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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A worthy remembrance. The poem is full of the truths that we are all aware of and depicts once again the fact that evil lives within the world and how it manifests itself. Your talent is exposing that we should always beware and never let our guard down when it comes to leaders. Nicely done.
Comment Written 09-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thank you for your understanding review. Evil never sleeps.
Comment from lyenochka
A very chilling warning to all humanity that the horrors of the holocaust were so real and can easily be brought back by hate and prejudice and apathy. Really well done!
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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A very chilling warning to all humanity that the horrors of the holocaust were so real and can easily be brought back by hate and prejudice and apathy. Really well done!
Comment Written 09-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for reviewing. I got rather emotional while I was writing this.... especially by the time I got to that last line.... just imagining myself in the same situation.
Comment from CrystieCookie999
This is a strong commentary on many political aspects and details which are associated with the concentration camps of World War II, including Buchenwald and Auschwitz. I think the last line gives me chills. The line about the suitcases' one-way destination is another, because it suggests that every single one of the suitcases' owners is also bound for a one-way destination, but the suitcases have a better chance of survival. Thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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This is a strong commentary on many political aspects and details which are associated with the concentration camps of World War II, including Buchenwald and Auschwitz. I think the last line gives me chills. The line about the suitcases' one-way destination is another, because it suggests that every single one of the suitcases' owners is also bound for a one-way destination, but the suitcases have a better chance of survival. Thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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I was feeling rather emotional when I was writing this poem. I'm not surprised that last line had an impact on you... By the time I got there I was having a bit of a sniffle, imaging myself there.
Comment from BeasPeas
This is well written in the spirit of remembrance. A graphic poem about a frightening time. I do not believe there is fear that this will present itself again. Marilyn
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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This is well written in the spirit of remembrance. A graphic poem about a frightening time. I do not believe there is fear that this will present itself again. Marilyn
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for reviewing my poem.
You say " I do not believe there is fear that this will present itself again."... but the upsurge of hate and prejudice and discrimination is happening in so many parts of the world, latest being the Rohingya in Myanmar... then there were the Hutus and Tutsis in Africa, the Serbs and Croats in Yugoslavia, ongoing issues between the Palestinians and Israelis... They might not kill each other with Zyklon-B dropped into gas chambers, but the hate never seems to diminish, and 'ethnic cleansing' has become part of our language.
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Hi Lisa. I know. I'm aware of all those terrible things. It boggles the mind that people can't get along and continue to carry out vicious acts. We don't seem to learn a thing.
Regarding the Jews, though, as was your topic, they will not allow that to happen to them again. People have to defend themselves when attacked and hopefully get the support of others to help them.
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True... I got off track. But the Jews, in making sure it doesn't happen to them again, now seem to be getting rather good at some discrimination themselves
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I think self-preservation rises above the label discrimination which is bantered about so easily these days and a term used purposely to silence those with opposing views. We here in the states are accused of discrimination when most of us want to limit immigration to those entering legally. That POV has nothing to do with discrimination and everything to do with safety.
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I take your point. Especially around 9/11 memories.
When mixed civilian populations get caught up in political or religious messes they are always the collateral damage.
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If we are discussing immigration, it has to do with following the rules/laws. For example, my husband was first generation Italian-American whose parents were sponsored by others who guaranteed my father-in-law had a trade (plasterer) and would not be a drain on public funds (welfare). My grandparents were Canadian who had to prove the same thing. (My grandfather was a painter/wallpaperer). In both cases they had to apply and were accepted into the country before they could come in. All countries have exactly the same requirement--only U.S. does not enforce the law. At the time I worked for an immigration lawyer, (1960's) law had to be followed. U.S. has totally dropped that requirement as far as I can see. Unfortunately, I think the collateral damage is U.S. citizens--not the other way around. Immigration asks one thing only--apply, get accepted, come in. That's it.
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Thanks for filling me in with some details of US domestic policy. Now I can have a more informed understanding.
Comment from judester
This is a powerful poem. Wow, I had to read twice.
Hot wind of hate, very apt to describe, unfortunately, the horror that continues to this day. I pray for peace and compassion, for us.
Bravo, judester
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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This is a powerful poem. Wow, I had to read twice.
Hot wind of hate, very apt to describe, unfortunately, the horror that continues to this day. I pray for peace and compassion, for us.
Bravo, judester
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for this super review. I agree... our times show discrimination is still lurking.
Comment from Joan E.
Thank you for reminding us to search for higher ideals rather than accepting baser instincts. Your vivid imagery and use of alliteration intensify the "chambers of horrors". Sighs- Joan
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thank you for reminding us to search for higher ideals rather than accepting baser instincts. Your vivid imagery and use of alliteration intensify the "chambers of horrors". Sighs- Joan
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for this review. It really disturbs me how hatred and discriminatory attitudes are currently so prevalent.
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I am pleased you were able to channel your feelings into this thought-provoking poem. Here's to change! -Joan
Comment from dragonpoet
It is so horribly sad that anyone would have to go through the concentration camp experience and lose so much. It shows how evil some human beings can be. It is a time to be remembered and never duplicated.
Keep writing
Joan
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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It is so horribly sad that anyone would have to go through the concentration camp experience and lose so much. It shows how evil some human beings can be. It is a time to be remembered and never duplicated.
Keep writing
Joan
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for your review - so understanding of the situation I wrote about.
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No problem, Lisa.
Joan
Comment from Gail Denham
Absolutley right on - thanks for this poem - it has the flavor of some of my favorite poets who write the real - briefly, being succinct - good job and sad. and to think some of our young generation do not believe there was a halocaust? you must be kidding.
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Absolutley right on - thanks for this poem - it has the flavor of some of my favorite poets who write the real - briefly, being succinct - good job and sad. and to think some of our young generation do not believe there was a halocaust? you must be kidding.
Comment Written 08-Sep-2019
reply by the author on 09-Sep-2019
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Thanks for reviewing this one - I love that phrase : "write the real". I think writers have a duty to keep history to the fore because, as you say, the youngsters get removed from the memories... and therefore doubt can step in.
