Which must be done if were to keep the peace.
While time goes by till all this suffering cease.
You read and study nearly all the day.
Who might have lived in such a different way.
You ’re never bored and bring us all fresh air.
Your only moan is this: “What can I wear?
I have no knickers, all my clothes are small.
My vest might be a loincloth, that is all To put on shoes would mean to cut off toes. ‘Oh dear, I’m worried by so many woes”!
There was also a bit about food that Margot could not translate into rhyme, so I shall leave it out. Don’t you think my birthday poem is good? I have been thoroughly spoiled in other ways and received a lot of lovely things. Among other things a fat book on my pet subject—the mythology of Greece and Rome. I can’t complain of a shortage of sweets either— everyone has broken into their last reserves. As the Benjamin of the family in hiding, I am really more honoured than I deserve.
Yours, Anne
Tuesday, 15 June, 1943
Dear Kitty, Lots of things have happened, but I often think that all my uninteresting chatter bores you very much and that you are glad not to receive too many letters. So I shall give you the news in brief.
Mr. Voskuijl has not been operated on for his duodenal ulcer. When he was on the operating table and they had opened him up, the doctors saw that he had cancer, which was far too advanced to operate. So they stitched him up again, kept him in bed for three weeks and gave him good food, and
