Poetry
MY MUSELMAN STATUE | FIREFLY | THE WALLS OF TEREZIN | TEDDY BEAR UNDER AN EIDERDOWN | RETURN TO THERESIENSTADT | SPRING IN BERLIN | PRESENTATION | AN UNOPENED LETTER

TEDDY BEAR UNDER AN EIDERDOWN
by Vera Meisels

    Once I was protected
    in my childhood serenity.
    Padded with endearments
    like zlatinku-my jewel, so many pet names,
    some I gave to my teddy bear
    and my doll who was then still
    able to keep her eyes open.

    When the strangers came to hang
    on me a number written on cardboard,
    they wouldn't give me a little cardboard
    for my teddy bear and my doll,
    I didn't want to leave them,
    so I asked very nicely, but
    the strangers were furious
    and ripped my doll from me
    because I was holding it tight -
    so I was left with my doll's torn-off arm.

    At least my teddy bear stayed whole,
    They were really in a hurry
    because they had a lot of work
    marking all the people with a number on cardboard.
    On my sister, too, they hung a cardboard
    with a number almost like mine, but
    I can't tell you what number it was
    because I wasn't at school yet and couldn't read

    We stood outside for a long time
    and wasn't allowed to talk or ask questions.
    I was very cold and I only wanted to say that
    my teddy bear was lucky
    that they didn't want to give him a number.