My friend Rafi Weichert published a poem in Haaretz today, apparently on reading a story to a chold – but it contains so many of the values an Israeli boy – who will soon become a soldier – needs.  so i translated it:

Reading an Epic with a Child

For Ido

Rafi Weichert

As evening comes we read

of Achilles who returned to battle

and of Hector whose body was chained to a chariot.

In the lessons to come we’ll accompany Odysseus

on his way to Ithaca, duping the Cyclops,

and we’ll evade Circe the witch.

You listen to the ancient stories

with a mouth full of grapes from the bowl.

The epic proceeds to the sound of the peels cracking

and his heroes run or sail to the goal

still hidden from your eyes.

In life, you’ll come to see, there are moments of heroism

not necessarily connected with death –

insult, shame and anger that mostly come

in human forms.

You learn about the envy that deceives,

on the poisonous thirst for vengeance

and of deep chasm of.hubris

in the hours that wisdom is granted to you

like sails unfurling

to meet the great wind.

In years to come these tales will aid you –

invisible weapons that are drawn

to defeat the enemies within.