You are man-made,
just as I was,
But you’ve existed
for longer than I.
You held captive
millions of innocent Jews.
You stood silent sentinel
amidst snow-bound gulags.
You remained indifferent
to citizenship robbed Japanese.
You form barriers
to mark national boundaries,
So many, thirsting for freedom
may not pass.
You are a vile creation,
designed to harm.
Yet you have no opinions,
no thoughts or cares.
But while you may truly
cage my body,
You cannot cage
my spirit.
As they sang in Dachau,
at Auschwitz, in the gulags,
On Robbin Island,
Alcatraz, and Rikers,
My mind is free!