I Was Afraid
by Terrace Holocaust Survivors Group
I was afraid that I would cry and my tears would leave me empty.
I was afraid they would think I was lying.
I was afraid they would know my shame.
I was afraid I would stay dead inside.
I was afraid they could look into my eyes,
And know and see what I had seen.
I was afraid I would remember too much.
I was afraid I would forget too much.
I was afraid that no-one would care
About my dead family.
I was so afraid.
These poems were created by the Holocaust Survivors' Group, a unique
group of women originating from a variety of different countries, cultures
and lifestyles. These poems have been reprinted from Collective Poems: The Terrace Holocaust Survivors'
Group, edited by Paula David (Baycrest
Centre for Geriatric Care), Toronto.