BABI YAR

THEY RAN TO THE RAVINE

TO STAND AMONG THE DEAD

WHICH THEY SOON JOINED

IF THEY LOOKED UP

THEY ONLY SAW HATEFUL FACES

IF THEY COULD HEAR

ABOVE THE WAILING

THEY HEARD CHRIST KILLERS

AND OTHER NON CHURCH LIKE SAYINGS

THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT

THAT JEWS WERE CHRIST KILLERS

THEY LIVED OUT THEIR FAITH

THEY FELT JUSTIFIED

SO THAT GROUP AFTER GROUP

OF CHRISTS WERE SLAUGHTERED

YOUNG

OLD

MALE

FEMALE

IT DIDN’T MATTER

THEY FELT LIKE

 THEY WERE EXTERMINATING

 BUGS

SO THEY KILLED BOTH LARVA

AND MATURE INSECTS

THEY FELT LIKE

THEY WERE EXTERMINATING

THINGS

 THAT HAD NO RIGHT TO EXIST

THEN THEY SAT IN CHURCH

HEARING THE SERMON

LITTLE CHILDREN

LOVE ON ANOTHER

I WONDER

IF THEY CALLED TO MIND

A MISQUOTE OF JEREMIAH

IF ONLY

THEY HAD KILLED ME

 WHILE I WAS IN THE WOMB

THEN MY MOTHER

WOULD HAVE BEEN MY GRAVE

SHE WOULD ALWAYS

HAVE BEEN WITH CHILD

WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF IT

JUDGING PEOPLE LESS THAN WE ARE

BE IT WEALTH

KNOWLEDGE

RACE

FAITH

ANYTHING WHICH MAKES THEM DIFFERENT FROM US

BUT CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE OTHER

WE ARE ALL SUBSERVIENT TO HIM

HIS WORDS ARE

CLOSE UP BABI YAR

LET THE GRASS GROW

NEVER DO IT AGAIN

FRANK A VOLLMER