“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.”

-Yevgeny Yevtushenko