As the Train Chugged
Emma Goodwin
A cattle car awaited
Person by person we filled in
With little space came little comfort
Then the gears turned
The train began to chug
Wary of our destination,
The excruciating wait commenced
Exhaustion took over
With a touch of fear
The train chugged further
The air was thick,
Filled with the stench of people
Yet no one cared
We just missed home
The train chugged further
Mrs. Schachter screamed,
Making claims of billowing fires
“That woman is deranged” we said
We were all deranged it seemed
The train chugged further
Men beat the poor woman
Held her down on the ground
Her son clung to her
Desperate for the only family he had left
The train chugged further
After ages we slowed down
Nearing our destination
The phantom fires became real
Ominous smoke poured from tall chimneys
The train chugged further
The unknown destination was revealed
We were at Auschwitz-Birkenau
If only the train chugged further
