Vienna - 1938

Never, ever will I forget
That fateful day
When Viennese Nazi burghers
Took my dear Dad away
To clean the sidewalks
With a toothbrush,
Laughing and urging him on
To do a good job and to rush,
And I, a young child,
Seeing my dignified Father abused,
Was to a state of tears reduced.

Later, Father patted me on my head,
"Son", he said, "don't be sad,
No matter what these people do,
I am still proud to be a Jew,
We've lasted over five thousand years,
We'll still be here,
When their kind disappears."

Alfred Charasz
Copyright 2006 Alfred Charasz