He couldn’t believe
How many gold teeth
Had been extracted

From the cold mouths of
The dead and piled up
Before him on his

Bench or in boxes
On the floor. Whose teeth?
What victims were they?

Jews? He guessed they were,
But whether he or
She or how they smiled

Once on some summer’s
Day or how they laughed
And at what, he did

Not know, and didn’t
Let his interest
Show, at least not to

Them, the guards and such,
It wouldn’t do to
Show too much spying

On these things not then.
Sixty tons of gold
From teeth, he later

Heard, from Auschwitz camp
Alone, what came from
Elsewhere he didn’t

Want to think or know
How far mankind had
Reach the brink of some

Dark abyss and put
Their human lips to
Such an evil kiss.