AND IT WAS A DAY AND THE DAY WAS ENDING Poem by Nora-Eugenie Gomringer

And it was standing and it was waiting
And it was a multitude and it looked like an ocean
And it was men and it was women
And it was children and it smelt of leather
And it was cases and it was steam
And it was mouths and it was the word
And it was blank and it was numb
And it was large and it was coats
And it was dogs and it was whimpering
And it was weeping and it was a train
And it was carriages and it was a ramp
And it was hurrying and it was the shout: inside
And it was pushing and it was hurrying again
And it was rough and it was the tone
And it was hands and it was looks
And it was minutes and it was cramped
And it was no room
And it was almost night and it was a joke
For they were like cattle
And it was a bolt and it was a jolt

And it was moving and it was no air
And it was night and it was time
And it was too long
And it was whispers and it was murmurs
And it was conjectures and it was questions
And it was heat and it was too cramped
And it was weeping again and it was a bucket
And it was four corners and it was a smell
And it was shame
And it was hours and it was hours
And it was hours and it was hours
And it was thirst and it was chaos
And it was falling and it was leaning
And it was a tired prayer
And it was murky water from the ladle
And it was a jolt

And it was listening and it was a hope
And it was a language and it was a country
And it was hours and it was hours
And it was hours and it was hours
And it was forebodings and it was rumours
And it was a fire spreading
And it was snatches and it was words

And it was surely not true

And it was a jolt
And it was true
And it was a strange name
Au-schw-itz