What Would You Take? by Serhiy Zhadan

Read by Olha Lemesheva in Truro Cathedral 19 December 2023

People, like snails, wait for the evening
Sleeping so soundly, so deeply in stations
Women who left clean bedsheets back home
Children who cling to their mother’s hand.

What will you take, little snail, from your burning home?
First of all, faith that you will return.
Remember the way the furniture stood;
Hide the keys in your pocket like a dried flower.

This is your road – walked by the voiceless.
Overnight stays between silence and rain.
Be brave, snails, know your worth on this journey.
You’re denied a home – never a heart.

The work of ShelterBox was highlighted throughout the concert and a comment made that  we had all experienced, for a short time, how things can change in a moment. Yes, we went out into the cold – but we could return to the Cathedral after the fire alarm and then to our own homes.

I’ve been sent a photo of one of my recently sold Angels. It’s always good to see them in their new homes.

The need for peace is in all our hearts.