Renata preferred apricots, blintzes, caviar, a little vodka at times, over ailing nightmares
she hated avid weevil’s in porridge, harvest after harvest that bore so little food
preferred the Fabergé romance of ‘St Petersburg’ over ho hum ‘Petrograd’
a knight in shining armour kiss above being wrestled to a Bolshevik’s floor
Julian calendar’s October revolt put pay to all that she preferred
the day Red molested White, desire and daydreams died
‘Peace, bread, and land’ the big man’s assurance
Renata never believed that for a single moment
squirreled away diamonds, silver and gold
found ‘Peace, bread, and land’
in a place of opportunity
across an ocean
far away
oh, how even now, Renata so misses her Mother Russia
‘Peace, bread, and land’ the big man’s assurance
‘Peace, bread, and land’ in exchange for quashed dissent
no man, woman or child feasts its soul on such a dirtied dish
through a window in a joint far removed from logic and sanity
one where little matters and death’s door bell often rings
Renata watches intently, listens, absorbs, is saddened
now a new big man gifts words, place of opportunities words
words of flawless White displacing arbitrary Red
positive, negative words
‘back then is new now’ words
Renata knits cumulonimbus clouds these days
sings to herself the song a wasted partisan once sang
‘…Let no one build walls to divide us
Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
We’ll live together or we’ll die alone
In our world poisoned by exploitation
Those who have taken now they must give
And end the vanity of nations
We’ve but one earth on which to live…’
that the songs message still rang true made Renata cry
The verse above borrowed from Billy Bragg’s version of ‘The Internationale’
Knitting clouds sounds lovely – but I guess one has to endure life’s poking needles first.
Ever the practical approach…made me chuckle young M Winter!
This is so powerful. The old is new again. And just as dangerous as it ever was.
Cheers Leslie. I had this thought that taking the charm out of St Petersburg back then wasn’t unlike the doing the self-same thing to the charm of Obama’s Washington…Kennedy’s Camelot. Different sides of the coin; same result, one actual and recorded in history books, the other foreseeable in the short term.
Yes!
Reblogged this on Praying for Eyebrowz and commented:
Such powerful words from my friend, Mike Steeden.
Cheers again young Leslie
This is so poignant, moving – Thank you to “Praying for Eyebrowz” for drawing my attention here.
Thank you for taking time out to read it VJ
My pleasure!
Different poems of yours feature different virtues. Here, it’s the imagery.
Kind of you to say…appreciated
You’ve told a book and a world in this poem Mike and sadly that world seems to be here again. xxxx
Twists, turns and same result whether right of left or left of right…give me a tale of romance before a real world factual account any day of any week Ms S.
But of course. They make for the best twists x
They certainly do…escapism the finest thing. Good book or listening to Farage talk on TV?
A lovely retelling…my type of woman.
Cheers young Marissa
enthusiastic applause from here in this “place of opportunity across an ocean far away”
You will know better than me that that is why so many oppressed Europeans risked everything to go where anything was/is achievable. I think that’s why socialism is a pointless concept your side of the pond. As my old mum used to say, ‘No call for it’!
I thoroughly enjoyed how the structure of the first stanza added so much to the poem – especially on the second read! How the first lines are general and they gradually focus to become more and more specific. This is a poignant story and so well told.
1917, the bloodiest year, and one hundred years of tyranny to follow. Bloody tentacles suffocating other nations, wanting more. Is anyone going to learn?
The purest of political dreams inevitably always turn sour sadly. No one will ever learn, I fully agree.
I think that it is the hate that ruins all the good beginnings. If they didn’t hate, or rather, if they were not manipulated to hate, it would be a bloodless revolution. But their leaders had their own plans. Money and power was their plan. When I see the pattern, I am simply terrified.
A truth if there ever was one. The world is out of balance, that’s for sure.
It sure is out of balance.
Lovely, warm. Like a good red wine at the end of the day.
A fine red is an everyday requirement for me…not too much though these days!
Reblogged this on Art Hut and commented:
If it is time of something different. In different mood.
Ah. nice ….very nice….@mikesteeden
My thanks…truly appreciated
Very Nice.
Cheers
This is a great commentary on today’s world, Mike. It’s touching, and not preachy, which is something that few are able to achieve when writing about politics and history.
Great job! Textured, complex and eloquent. I love the first line of the poem.
Are you familiar with “City of Theives?” A novel set in St. Petersburg during WWII.
Thanks for sharing your art.
Jon
I don’t think I am, although by the sound of it I ought to be. Thank you for reading, truly appreciated.
Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
Thank you Kate. Truly appreciated.
You’re one of my favorite weavers. I envy your talent so hard!!
You are far too kind, appreciated.
Excellent blog post. An apt description of what is going to take place on Jam 20th, 2017 when Orange Hair takes office. America will go through a four year winter filled with storms and blizzards. Let’s hope that there will be survivors at the end.
I sit the other side of the pond and as worried as you are…he’s already upset the Chinese and he hasn’t got is finger on the button yet. Your nation deserves better than this.
Scary. I will be doing lots of praying and whatever civil disobedience I can perform.
May good fortune be upon you then.
Reblogged this on Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit and commented:
An apt description of what will take place on Jan 20th, 2017 when Orange Hair takes office. America will go through a four year winter filled with storms and blizzards. Let’s hope that there will be survivors at the end.
Reblogged this on Paul's Courses.
Cheers Sir