I Am Full, Yet Empty

I am Auschwitz By Shannon Keough

I am full, yet empty. I remember May 1940 when my existence was deemed necessary. I hear prisoners marching to the crematorium and gas chamber. I see Dr. Mengele masterminding his evil experiments. I want to see my own destruction, so the 1.3 million who have entered my gates may see freedom. I am full, yet empty.

I pretend that the Nazis do not have power to incarcerate and eliminate. I feel exasperated with the thought of 1.1 million lives lost within me. I touch souls wasting away in hunger and despair. I worry that the Soviets will not reach my gates in time. I cry as I see gun shots fired at the Black Wall. I am full, yet empty.

I understand that this is far beyond me. I say that no group of people should be eliminated because some believe they are a threat. I regret the success of my existence, and the human toll I have taken. I rejoice on January 27, 1945 when seven thousand prisoners are able to leave my gates alive. I hope that this is the end of me. I am full, yet empty.

Information and picture from:

Holocaust Encyclopedia: Auschwitz. (2008, October 7). Retrieved February 23, 2009, from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?ModuleId=10005189