Sunrise

Suddenly it was sunrise

a new day

full of vigor and stamina

all comrades woke staring

at each other, counting bodies

that moved instead of the motionless,

let them be cursed  

let them keep away from us;

then the sergeant came

and called our names

it wasn’t strange that we answered

except the dead laid in the ditch

in gray sacks like rotten potatoes

no one dared deal with

and the sun, unerring

overlooking, stood high up

in the horizon like a mother

who counted one by one her children

she hid her eyes from

this unspeakable spectacle

then a moment

of silence was called for

the ones who could no longer breathe

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