I played my part in history,
not that I knew
at all. Just a girl
German and trapped
by 90 miles of concrete wall.

Daddy said we had to go,
on a long drive,
a journey to talk to
American soldiers
whose cars were seldom searched

A black Toyota Camry
with a big boot,
not so big with Daddy
and me and two cases
crushed in the heat and humidity.

It was the heat that saved us,
the car so black
absorbed it, so no
infra-red detected us,
me wrapped in Daddy's sweat.

Daddy says he heard the shout,
felt the weaving
left and right
round barriers that
Charlie had to slow you down.
We left the East that day;
no tunnels, or balloons,
the last before November 9
when free to choose.
thousands followed through