Memories of Atrocities to Come –
Published with Ref. to 9/11, WWII, and Today
By: Astrid Hiemer - Sep 09, 2021
Memories of Atrocities to Come (Definition below)
Written at night, edited at daytime. And, published in remembrance of September 11, where nearly 3000 people from 78 countries died. This year marks 20 Years after the 9/11 atrocities in New York City, destruction of the World Trade Center; The Pentagon, Arlington County, VA; and in Stonycreek Township, near Shanksville, PA.
Grateful to Pennie Brantley, Susan Erony, Menachem Rosensaft, and in memory of Erika Marquardt; her life and work will be remembered by her family and friends in Newburyport, MA, on 9/18.
The title of this poem is in recognition of Erika’s book: Memories of a War to Come. And for Erika and Susan, who both painted together 1000 paintings, depicting German WWII atrocities. They spent nearly a decade, between 1990s and 2005, to exhibit those hard hitting paintings in the US and in European countries, while they also participated in meetings, conferences and panel discussions, keeping the awful atrocities of the so called 1000 Year Reich alive.
Recently, we saw Pennie’s current exhibition at Real Eyes Gallery in Adams, MA, titled: The Presence of the Past. We listened to Pennie speak about her own reasons and intentions while creating this work. As part of the exhibition she is showing a series of five paintings: Echoes of Their Voices - that are dedicated to the lost lives of millions of innocent people.
People, murdered by men and women belonging to the Nazi-machinery in WWII: The artist is depicting stark rooms at Theresienstadt/Terezin, a former death camp located in today’s Czech Republic, north of Prague. The images are of a sick room, a bunk bed room, where prisoners had to share bunks with several other prisoners. Then, an admissions space, a bath room, with the title Ethnic Cleansing.The light and stark, sanitized atmosphere today exudes a kind of peace and eeriness from the canvases, documenting rooms, where so many deaths were committed.
Will there ever be hope for the 'Menschheit' (mankind)? Millions of innocent people were murdered: German and Eastern European Jews, Gypsies, Gays, Members of the Clergy, Nuns, Members of the Resistance, including people who protected and hid Jewish people, and just Others, whatever that may have included. Finally, innocents, who were denounced by ANYONE!
I have also been reading in increments Menachem Z. Rosensaft’s book: Poems Born in Bergen-Belsen, another death-camp near Celle in Lower Saxony, Germany. Words I could only absorb in small increments, little by little. Lines, such as: “…the little girl -- hugs her knit-doll -- as she plays -- among corpses…” They made me cry out against atrocities!
Crying out in pain! Yet, what does it mean? What does it really mean, when atrocities are being committed around the world every day: Today in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Yemen, in Somalia, in Myanmar, in some Arabic States, in China. And in the USA -- or any unnamed country on every Continent in the middle of the night or brazenly at day-time.
How can it be that today, not only in Texas, citizens can denounce other citizens: ANYONE – for presumed ‘illegal’ acts in support of abortions. It was sanctioned on 9/2 by a majority of the USA Supreme Court – no, not to kill, just to receive the bounty of future fines up to $ 10000 by a Texas Court!
And, when in Texas ANYONE can now carry a gun openly without background check or gun license. That may lead to free license for murder! Remember though, they say: ‘Guns don’t murder, people do.’ Ever more illegal guns will flood the markets everywhere.
And it will escalate the already highest murder rates in cities and contribute to certain citizens unrest in US cities and across the States. Then atrocities will also escalate - anywhere!
STOP it NOW! The USA is heading into chaos and Nazi-ism! More Atrocities!
ANYONE/EVERYONE - Be aware!
Definition of atrocity by The Free Dictionary: [Search domain thefreedictionary.com] a·troc·i·ty (?-tr?s′?-t?) n. pl. a·troc·i·ties 1. Appalling or atrocious condition, quality, or behavior; monstrousness. 2. An appalling or atrocious act, situation, or object, especially an act of unusual or illegal cruelty inflicted by an armed force on civilians or prisoners. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language.