Mariinski Theatre - Summer Afternoon

MARIINSKI THEATRE - SUMMER AFTERNOON Crowds sweep past anonymous Each a lost individual. A Russian voice unsmiling - The girl looks western with heavy mascara Trying to ape a skinny euro-model. Her man could have stepped from a tv show - Russian face with blue jeans and MP3 in ear. They are a lost nation. The folk-tune accordion on the corner Is drowned by decibels of ABBA And ostentatious noise From SUVs and stretch limos. Cyrillic letters are swamped with latin alphabet McGonalds is brighter and bigger than home cafes Home signs are outshone by Cepsie Pola The palaces are topped with neon not crosses. Native culture has committed suicide It has left home in search Of an alien ideal Note: Mariinski Theatre was better known in the west for many years as the Kirov Theatre.