(A/N: Spoiler warning. This poem contains spoilers for 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. Please read at your own expense.)
On a train to Molching, one snowy day,
She travelled with her mother and brother all the way,
To a street named after heaven, it was called Himmel,
The couple waited for the angels so little.
Death was cunning as he kissed Liesel's brother,
Leaving her distraught, in the cold she shuddered,
So she was the one who reluctantly ventured,
To her foster parents, as she began the adventure.
'Chlorinated' eyes and a 'wardrobe' build,
Rosa, her 'mama' was the abrasive of the guild,
She was strict and curt, her voice high-pitched,
As she did the laundry for five of the rich.
A heart that melted faster than ice-cream,
Hans, her 'papa' was as gentle as he seemed,
A soldier he was in the First World War,
The accordion he played, leaving Liesel in awe.
'A smile that is starving,' author Zusak says,
Liesel, our hero knows her job well,
She grabbed her first at the site of the burial,
Little did she know, that was her dream so surreal.
She wanted to read, she wanted to learn,
Papa helped her, and her life took a turn,
Words were life and books the oxygen,
She received happiness, just a smidgen.
Then came Rudy, the lemon-haired boy,
Always demanding a kiss, he loved Liesel a tad,
They became best friends and went on stealing missions,
Apples and veggies, but books were the ambition.
Hence, the book thief stole a couple few,
From snow, fire and the mayor's library too,
The books and words, her escapist fantasy,
In the dark time of the German Nazi.
During that grim era, the Hubermanns hid,
A dangerous secret on which they kept a lid,
That secret took the form of a Jewish fist-fighter,
He hid in their house, safe from Adolf Hitler.
He loved Liesel and Liesel loved him,
A book he gave her so the pages be filled,
Sick, ailing and hopeless Max was,
Until the power of words caused laughter from his jaws.
It was a grave sin to hide a Jew,
But kindness is found in hearts very few,
Not wanting to risk their lives further,
He took their leave, going closer to the Führer.
Dear Liesel, she missed him a lot every time,
She saw him in the words and wondered if he's fine,
That was her world, her parents and Rudy,
Not to forget the books, now Death became moody.
He snatched the temporary joy in her life,
The bombs fell and gave rise to a strife,
Houses collapsed and Death was everywhere,
He took the three bodies, that gave her the most care.
The grief could not be borne,
As she dug past the stone,
She gave Rudy his kiss,
A friend she'd terribly miss.
The accordion, she placed near Papa's corpse,
Her mama was beside him, the cries didn't stop,
Death left behind an acrid stench,
But Liesel, the thief, will always remain our Saumensch.
Yours poetically,
The Literary Artisan 💖
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