Dancing Under The Gallows

I wrote this poem in March 2015 but I decided to publish it on here because it has a meaning that I want others to see. This poem is inspired by a quote from a documentary that we watched in History (I know, nerdy right?) about the work camps in Nazi Germany. Jews who had a talent for singing, dancing, playing an instrument or any other form of entertainment could be picked out of the work camps and forced to perform for Germans and other important people. The reason this was done was to ensure that the awful truth of the work and death camps were kept secret from the public and to make them think that the Jews were safe and having fun. The poem is from the point of view of one of these performers, who describes what it is like to be forced to do this. Thanks for reading! -Aimee