Emerge from four hours of darkness.
Bright sun sears eyes,
pupils paralyzed by pain,
unable to constrict.
Gait unsteady, equilibrium gone,
liberated, starving,
yet unable to eat.
Freight car at museum entrance,
as it once emptied at Auschwitz.
Across the bay, in glistening water
Ellis Island stands mournfully,
a reminder that many more
should have found safety.
Instead, victims of quotas,
indifference, intolerance,
ending in ashes.
Find a taxi in rush hour chaos.
Board next train,
air conditioned,
soft seats, windows.
Lurch back to
a suburban serenity,
once thought safe.