*
***
NEVER
SHALL I FORGET
THAT NIGHT, THE FIRST
NIGHT IN THE CAMP, WHICH HAS
TURNED MY LIFE INTO ONE LONG NIGHT,
SEVEN TIMES CURSED AND SEVEN TIMES SEALED. NEVER SHALL I
FORGET THAT SMOKE. NEVER SHALL I FORGET THE LITTLE
FACES OF THE CHILDREN, WHOSE BODIES I SAW TURNED
INTO WREATHS OF SMOKE BENEATH A SILENT BLUE
SKY. NEVER SHALL I FORGET THOSE FLAMES
WHICH CONSUMED MY FAITH FOREVER.
NEVER SHALL I FORGET THAT NOCTURNAL
SILENCE WHICH DEPRIVED ME, FOR ALL ETERNITY,
OF THE DESIRE TO LIVE. NEVER SHALL I FORGET THOSE
MOMENTS WHICH MURDERED MY G-D AND MY SOUL, AND
TURNED MY DREAMS TO DUST. NEVER SHALL I FORGET THOSE
THINGS EVEN IF I AM CONDEMNED
TO LIVE AS LONG AS
G-D HIMSELF.
NEVER
***
*

From “NIGHT” by Elie Wiesel / adapted by Avi Tsur