You Are A Jew

You remember with great clarity when
as a child you were cursed as Christ-killer.
You are a Jew. You recall those persistent
queries by strangers to have you state
where you were really from when you
responded Canada. You are a Jew. It is
never far from your mind in childhood
watching your parents and their friends
gathering quietly, whispering to one 
another words that meant little to you
but which memory dredges up, words 
such as work camps, concentration camps
and death camps. You are a Jew. When
you became old enough you read about
the Inquisition, Pogroms, the Final Solution
and quivered in helpless rage. You are a
Jew. Because you are a Jew you developed
a sixth sense, knowing and fearing and
yet hoping. Because you are a Jew when
you hear certain phrases they stab your
soul. Now other generations experience
what you did and as they do your own
simply continue as Jew-hatred consumes
the minds of psychopaths everywhere on
this Earth. You shudder when you read
and you hear and you see repetitions of
the familiar. You see, you are a Jew.