The Red Shoes

I had two beautiful red shoes I used them To chase the butterflies The clouds The kites The birds They were the gift of my Beautiful mother when I became five She used to rehearse with her violin Mendelsohn Violin concert On the terrace of our house I liked to wear my red shoes To dance While my mother Was playing her beautiful violin Laying on her shoulder With long blond hair Then she was taken Before me It was a cold morning of April 1915 I remember the noise of a jeep On the road Men shouting My mother screaming for fear While I was still in my bed The day after they came for me My red shoes too were taken from me I could no longer chase my dreams And the kites and the birds I could no longer dance At the music Of my mother’s violin