Tuesday 1 November 2016

Gas Chamber (If Walls Could Talk)



I am what I am;
I have neither a heart nor a soul,
yet I have purpose.

Come to me you scourge of the earth,
you gravid with vermin,
you mothers and children,
you sick crippled and old. 
I have use for you.

Show me your bodies naked and awful
and I will show you my worst.  

I have purpose,
I shall cleanse this world clean.

Anna :o[

Mish at dVerse has us writing on the theme of ‘If Walls Could Talk’ and the above is my offering.

Also shared with the good folk at Real Toads Tuesday Platform.

Image:  Courtesy of  Wikimedia Commons

Author: Walter, Bernhard

22 comments:

Glenn Buttkus said...

This one, this wall is an ass-kicker, stomach churner, heart breaker--a brave & shocking choice. I dig it as much as I revile the message; cool & sad.

tonispencer said...

How very sad but yet, such meaning behind the walls. It's good to see yiu again!

Anonymous said...

How dark are the shadows...

Mish said...

Wow, this is powerful. The reality of it hurts so much.
Thank you for this darker response to the prompt. Walls have seen the most horrific of things.

Margaret said...

...so many did think they were going to the showers. I toured Washington D.C.'s Holocaust Museum 3 times... it always stays with you. Powerful poem.

Dr. Vandana Sharma said...

Reality of the world.

Dr. Vandana Sharma said...

Reality of the world.

Kim M. Russell said...

This is the wall none of us would want to be, seeing the things none of us would want to see. A poem that packs a punch: I like the way the opening lines make no excuses, offer no apologies and set us up for that awful last line.

Anonymous said...

These walls as servant and master were cold for me--naked in purpose, embracing the nakedness of death.

brudberg said...

Oh this is so strong.. those walls and their purpose, I almost feel sorry for what they were forced to do... but you made me think otherwise

Sanaa Rizvi said...

This is such a strong and evocative write!!❤️

Brian said...

An awful twist on a horrific time.

ADDY said...

Wow. As the daughter of a man who had to flee Nazi Germany, this struck a chord with me. A short poem that packs a punch.

Mark Butkus said...

A concise and vibrant read! I liked this very much.

kaykuala said...

Tough talk Anna! But sometimes it may be necessary!

Hank

Anonymous said...

This was painfully haunting, Anna. No words seem appropriate.

~Prajakta

lynn__ said...

Powerful reminder of the abyss of social "cleansing"...awful inhumanity of humanity as witnessed by those walls.

la- rĂªverie said...

Pain- et powerful.

Marian said...

Ugh. Hard to write strongly enough to describe such horror.

Debi Swim said...

Powerful reminder of a horrific time.

colleen said...

Horror with the picture and words. It's a good reminder.

Martin said...

Very hard and powerful. If only walls could cry and crumble ...