Loud Thoughts

	by Yury Nesterenko

An ugly face of child is looking from
The surface of the screen; in the background -
An armored machine of Russian troops.
Symbolics of the war - according to
Camera man's idea; we decide
If his idea was in fact successfull
Here, in the state where every effort fails.

The rainy weather spoils somebody's birthday,
And somebody on funeral of someone
Says sweetly to kinsfolk of the deceased:
"San Sanych(1) was bemoaned by the nature".
Oh, this is really a funny thing -
To die at birthday date, reducing twice
Friends' opportunity to drink together,
Although a Russian man will always find
A reason to be drunken to a pig...
Oh, what a damned climate, damned country,
Where even talks of weather lead to anguish!

Salute of fifty salvoes! Fifty years
Have passed after the German war machine
Got stuck in the dead bodies and was broken.
Here it is called The Victory, it's the
Great holiday. They can be understood -
They must have something to be proud of!
Salute in Moscow, fire in Chechnya
Unite today in a pathetic chorus.

Yes, blood. Yes, dirt. Yes, chaos and anarchy.
But there is something more which is the worst:
They are believing still in their grandeur!
And nothing is more hopeless than that.
A party secretary(1) in the church,
A faschist priest, a democratic priest,
An intellectual without money,
An emigrant, who ran away from here,
Forsaking everything to save his life,
A monarchist with communist red banner,
A communist with last emperor's portrait,
And drunken men, and thiefs - all they are sure
That Russian mission is to save the world!
It may be so - I've even got the method:
If Russia disappears, the world is safe!
For many ages they torment themselves,
They only just have not destroyed the Earth,
They can be understood, felt sorry for,
But not forgiven. So strange to know
That years ago I was one of them.

The Kremlin Clock is striking. Honor guard
Already doesn't keep the tyrant slumber,
But Mausoleum stone is firm as always,
And ruby stars on tops of Kremlin towers
As always, glow like the dragon's eyes.
Armor is weak, and our banks are fast.(3)
Advertisment and shooting in the streets.
World history. The country named Russia.
The end of the millenium. Moscow city.

1995
----------------------------------------
(1) Short colloquial form of first and second name "Alexander 
Alexandrovich". Often used as common name like John Smith and so on.
(2) "Party" without name means CPSU till now.
(3) Allusion to Soviet military song "Armor is strong, and our
tanks are fast".



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