Translation from Russian by Michael Kogan
* * *My Grandfather, David, was killed in 1942 –He was a sapper, hell of a job.No grave, no house left –He died, after fighting a bit over a year
The wife and the daughter were left behind, The G-d helped,Though David never relied on G-d:He was protecting the East from the West -Those times, the death didn't come from the East...
The Grandmother died not so long ago –Lived almost 100 years. And was keepingA dose of poison all that time: in case all goesDown with a war, not to see Stalingrad once again...
The Grandmother at that time was working as a nurse.In her nightmaresBlood and pus settled forever,Along with the bodies of the killed – young and old...
Sometimes I see my Grandmother in my dreams,We speak, almost whispering.And in reality, there is a photo on the wall,A military order, order document...
On the photo that lost almost all colours,Like through the fog,Grandfather and Grandmother – alive, young:Tarutino, Petrovka, Akkerman*) –Those were their native places...
Today in those places hails of rockets are falling,Like in 41 – so much alike...I'm glad the Grandfather doesn't see that.I'm also glad that the Grandmother is not alive...
13.03.2022
*) Akkerman is a very famous beach near Odessa