Our summer vacation (part 2)

We left the pretty mountains and went on our way,

Headed for Krakow for a three-night stay.

We saw people selling artwork and strolled the cobbled streets,

Loved the city’s buskers and danced to their beats.

We fell head over heels with the laid-back vibe,

And so did the rest of the tourist tribe.

We ate wonderful food and watched horses walk by,

Pulling carriages of people in the middle of July.

We visited the market, the one that’s really old,

And looked at all the stuff that the vendors sold.

We ended up buying a stuffed little cat,

And paid a random dude some coins to pet a rat.

Next day we drove to Auschwitz, got tricked by some guys

To park a mile away, so we walked under the skies.

Thank God it wasn’t far, because it was really hot,

Then right outside the camp we saw the parking lot.

We didn’t really care, ’cause when we got inside

We saw horrific history, impossible to hide.

We saw the victims’ shoes and their cut-off hair,

We entered a building and walked down the stairs,

Where they were told they’d shower, when really they got gassed.

It doesn’t really matter how much time has passed.

Their cries live forever, embedded in the walls,

Their desperate pleas and their hopeless calls.

Countless families torn apart

Entered my mind and stayed in my heart.

A horrible, sinister camp of death,

Where hundreds of thousands took their last breath.

The rest of the day we were all kind of sad,

The camp stayed with us and we just went to bed.

We thankfully managed to enjoy our last day,

Had a wonderful breakfast and wanted to stay.

Just a few days more, where we could explore

And do just a little bit, little bit more.

We decided to go for a walk and see

Schindler’s factory, where he helped to free

Hundreds of Jews by giving them a job

As essential workers, safe from Hitler’s mob.

And we were happy to feel a flutter of joy

For the workers that survived thanks to Schindler’s ploy.

Then we headed on home, feeling thankful and glad,

Bringing buckets of memories of the good and the bad.