Where without Whom
July 5, 2023Shema
July 5, 2023The Survivor
Once more he sees his companions’ faces
Livid in the first faint light,
Gray with cement dust,
Nebulous in the mist,
Tinged with death in their uneasy sleep.
At night, under the heavy burden
Of their dreams, their jaws move,
Chewing a non-existant turnip.
‘Stand back, leave me alone, submerged people,
Go away. I haven’t dispossessed anyone,
Haven’t usurped anyone’s bread.
No one died in my place. No one.
Go back into your mist.
It’s not my fault if I live and breathe,
Eat, drink, sleep and put on clothes.’
Primo Levi
Primo Levi (1919-1987): An Italian Jewish writer, chemist, and Holocaust survivor. He is best known for his memoir "If This Is a Man" and his collection of short stories "The Periodic Table," which explore themes of memory, identity, and the human experience.