“You ask, ‘why the intellectuals?’ Because they are the keepers of the soul, the best of their civilization and if their voice bee stilled than who will sound the call?” – Varian Fry – Varian’s War

Would You Have Even Dared?

Just because you cannot see it
Does not mean it dose not exist
The war is real
And people lost in the mist
There are horrors
Beyond description
Please find in your hearts
True compassion
If these were your relatives
Would you not want to save them
Jews!
No one wants them
Am I the only American
American enough
To step up to the plate
To save humanity even when times are tough
Your excuses are very inadequate
The dilemmas which are before me
Determine 2,000 souls fate
But there is little I can do without your loyalty
Since no one would support me
I went straight to the top
Asking Eleanor Roosevelt
If she would be kind enough
Gladly she helped me
And gave me the funds I needed
Now it’s up to me
For this mission to be successful was the only thing I pleaded
Thankfully I was not alone
Albert Hershmen, Miriam Davenport and Hiriam Bingham
Would stand by my side
But would the Nazi’s discover our scam
Time is very fragile
We can’t afford to wait
The Nazi’s have discovered me
We must leave now before it is too late
We dress in our best
Following our map heading straight for our destined dot
The Spanish Boarder waits there for us
And we pray that we will not be shot on the spot
It was probably the closest call in history
Just feet away were they
The Nazi’s ride closer in their car
And I jump out stop them without delay
I make up an excuse
And my friends were saved
The artists, the writers, the teachers and professors
Continued structuring the world that raved
The country that did not believe
In me
Would have
Untold parts of history
My brave acts were highly awarded
Though I just did what needed to be done
Later we would be evolved in the very war we wanted to ignore
And we won
When listening to the radio
And hearing the aftermath
My story has been forgotten
Over time’s lingering path
Wishing I could have done more
Saving the ones that were not spared
Though I cannot help but ask
Doing what I have done, would you have even dared?

“To fail these people now would be to fail my country and to fail my conscience.” – Varian Fry – Varian’s War