but history.
Numbers on her arm—
a tattoo she never chose.
Always the reminder
of life taken from her.
Mother, father, brother gone.
No home to return to.
Only the promise
she made to herself
that someday
she would have
a family of her own to love.
That was her answer.
It was the only thing she knew
that could not be taken from her:
the desire to love.
And as she passed away
with her children, grandchildren,
great grandchildren by her side
she knew she had won,
and she thanked God
for the living
who carry forth the message
to never forget.