Lies

Telling lies to the young is wrong. 

Proving to them that lies are true is wrong. 

Telling them that God’s in his heaven
and all’s well with the world is wrong.

They know what you mean. The young are
   people too.
Tell them the difficulties can’t be counted, 

and let them see not only what will be
but see 
with clarity these present times. 

Say obstacles exist they must encounter
sorrow comes, hardship happens.
The hell with it. Who never knew
the price of happiness will not be happy.
Forgive no error you recognize, 
it will repeat itself, increase,  

a hundredfold
and afterward our pupils 

will not forgive in us what we forgave. 




Yevtushenko 1952