Dear Mrs. Hoess,
The women
will never be able
to thank you
for the little pink
cardigan you have sent.
We are seventy
of us, and as I
was Professor of Literature
at the University
in days past,
the ladies of the barracks
have elected me to write
on everyone’s behalf.
I must tell you
as certainly you have worried,
that there has been no difficulty
regarding the distribution
of the little pink cardigan.
None of our children
are with us
and the youngest here,
too big to wear it.
It flooded our
thoughts that perhaps
your gift presaged the arrival
of some information
on the whereabouts
of the children;
we thought perhaps
you might be
trying to tell us something
with your over-kindness. Yes ?
Which the case might be,
we only wanted to thank you
so much for thinking of us
in this wise. As best we can,
we shall keep the little pink
cardigan in the wax paper
in which it was sent,
folded
and placed high above the mud.
It has been decided that
who-so-evers’ child returns
first, will be the glad recipient
of your magnanimity. We
do not know
where our clothes or
belongings are,
so this was very thoughtful indeed.
Frau Rosen remarked
that Heidlele
had the same little pink
cardigan which she wore incessantly,
even on traveling day
to the camp. When Heidele
comes back, won’t she be
surprised to see that
some things, if lost
are not lost forever !
Frau Klein said
that it must be a sign
from the angels.
Many times we have heard
the voices of your children
from over the wall
across the field.
We can only imagine the work
that you must have,
keeping the great house ,
receiving visitors, minding the staff —
seeing to your own family —
and still you thought of us.
From all of the ladies
in the barracks, thank you !