The piece of poetry you are referring to is First They Came by Pastor Martin Niemöller. This poem is a powerful reflection on the consequences of remaining silent in the face of injustice and persecution. It was written after World War II by Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor who initially supported the Nazis but later became an outspoken critic and was imprisoned in a concentration camp.

The poem is famous for its repetitive structure, describing how Niemöller did not speak out as various groups were targeted by the Nazis-Communists, Socialists, trade unionists, and Jews-because he was not a member of those groups. The poem concludes with the haunting realization that when they finally came for him, there was no one left to speak out for him123456.

A commonly cited version of the poem reads:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me145.

This poem is widely recognized as a warning against the dangers of apathy and the moral imperative to stand up against oppression, even when it does not directly affect oneself.

Citations:

1. https://hmd.org.uk/resource/first-they-came-by-pastor-martin-niemoller/
2. https://poemanalysis.com/pastor-martin-niemoller/first-they-came/
3. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_They_Came
5. https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/2019-01/First%20They%20Came%20by%20Martin%20Niem%C3%B6ller_0.pdf?l6HOtWW1N8umC_ELxnQI6NpaAYbxRCJj=
6. https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/ezhh9x/first_they_came/
7. https://yasminnair.com/first-they-came-for-the-criminals/
8. https://www.reddit.com/r/Poetry/comments/n2bgfc/poem_first_they_came_by_martin_niem%C3%B6ller/
9. https://www.paih.org/first-they-came-the-poem-of-protest
10. https://truah.org/resources/first-they-came/

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