Dearest Gerhard

by aliyahmofree

November 28, 2017

Dear Great-Grandfather Gerhard Joseph,

I wish there was a chance to talk to you

I want to know your mannerisms and personality

But I know all I have are other people’s stories and pictures

I wish I had your motivation through challenges of faith and body

I want to understand how you were able to pursue education through persecution

But those are tales that can only be told in person

I wish that you were able to live a life without needing to flee

I want to tell you that the world is completely different than when you were here

But I do not think that I can

I wish to know what your silent smile meant in person

I want to believe that your legacy lives on

But I know that thanks to your courage

It does.

Love,

Your Great-Granddaughter, Aliyah Moline-Freeman

Something wrong with this poem?

Replies are closed for this poem.

Your Poem's Voice

See what makes your poem unique — its voice, energy, themes, and the literary traditions it draws from.

Comments (1)

aliyahmofreeNov 28, 2017

<p>This is a poem written to my great-grandfather, who escaped Nazi Germany while being persecuted for his religion (and my religion). He was one of the last Jews to get a university degree in Germany and sought education to the point where he was one of the most intelligent people I have ever heard. He was able to escape to America, where he had my grandmother, and gave entire generations the ability to be free by being brave. </p>