MARGARET GUDKOV

MARGARET

GUDKOV

ALIENATION OF THE SOUL

Traversing sea on flimsy boat

Fly over ocean on the modern plane

The people run for better life for themselves

Becoming Martians in the foreign land

Misunderstood, lonely , keeping the traditions

Living in closed circles , doing menial jobs

Some adapting fast to newer customs

Others never manage be a part of melting pot

Those others manage not to speak the proper language

Cooking their own food just like in abandoned mother land

Watching TV , the news about places of ancestors

Reading the papers on the native tongues

The isolation grows with not so friendly glances

Mistaken notions of the natives about the customs

Keeping the culture withing unfamiliar population

Hearing go home , you not welcomed here

The refugees were always coming to America, to Europe

Experiencing difficulties on arrival, how not get swindled by

Survive amidst the stormy waves of infamiliarity

The new influx is streaming now through , repeating steps of

The preceding generations, blood, sweat and tears

After swimming in the murky waters have to endure

The tidal waves of misconception , alienation of the soul

THE DESPERATION SETTLED IN

(inspired by my friend Lebene Attipoe)

The desperation settled in

Must we abandon land of the ancestors

Run as fast as legs permit , escaping murderous intentions

The death is breathing in the neck, touching the shoulders

There no way looking back , unless we want to bury children

The boats waiting on the shore, too small , too overcrowded

Or maybe it is us , unknown number of the humans

Trying to beat the devil in his horrific games, crowding

Rushing to squeeze into the tiny vessels wooden bones

Collapsing in the murky waters in the despairing attempts

Cold temperatures putting bracelets on the limbs

Paralysis of motion ends hopes galloping race

The babies, mothers taken by Neptune's daughters, mermaids

They staring back at us , accusing in inhumane intentions

The vacant fishy eyes,limp, lifeless bodies brought to beach

Same , suppose to become haven for the safety

The freedom claimed highest price.. the life

Crabs , seashells decorate awkward stance of corpses

WAR

Look around

The wars,the big and small

Stopping never on the greediness account

The politicians playing games with people's lives

We all the targets on the shooting range

Dying from unnatural causes

You ask yourself when does it end

Never as long as we guided by wrong values

Running away from question to the "Cannot see it" land

Rejecting massacres much like folks in Germany or

Long way from Europe, America, believing not

The trains delivering thousands to concentration camps

Not for a working but for gas chambers

The eyes are opened too late for many.. ashes left

The years passed since without peace

The confrontations in diverse parts of world did not cease

It is enough to read the eyes of child to understand

That small , tentative truce is better then small local war

Margaret Gudkov

HOMELAND: RUSSIA

CURRENT: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA