Lies
Lying 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.
They 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,
a hundredfold
and afterward
our pupils
will not forgive in us
what we forgave.
I found this translation online at The American Dissident, which also has two other Yevtushenko poems deserving your immediate attention, especially one of my all-time favorites, "Conversations With An American Writer". As former President Dubya taught us, lies don't magically disappear- they just blow up in other people's faces.
