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Soviet Story

Hungary 1956 The innocent flowers peered gingerly Through the stench in the iron pavement Hesitating, then stretching the petals greedily To drink of the sunlight of Possibility... Czechoslovakia 1968 Beaming, grinning, grown men giddy with laughter Liberty unleashed! Gone Repression's manacles Now marching, shouting, swelling to a gale force Unstoppable, sweeping aside all resistance in her path... Happy Endings ...When, bludgeoned by cement-faced tanks Petals ducking inward, collapsing Pistils and stamens suffocating Vanished smiles annihilated Choked on oxygen-depleted Placards of Freedom unbetrothed... ...All the flowers died... ...All the people withered... ...Crushed -- oh-so --Happily --ever --after

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Agnes Krampe

Date: 4/24/2018 7:10:00 PM

I like your imagery, Gershon. But eventually, freedom DID win. I feel very strongly about this, because I grew up in communist East Germany, and the tales of the uprisings in 1953, of Prague 68 etc were ever present warnings - and yet, in 1989, the wall DID fall , something we had not imagined in our wildest dreams. There is hope.

Gershon Wolf
Date: 4/24/2018 7:36:00 PM

Yes, you're right. There is hope. The worldwide communist revolution is dead, although I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Russia to ever come around, and I certainly wouldn't underestimate the threat Mr. Putin poses to this planet. He is craftily building an empire, beach-heads all over the globe...We'll see what happens...Thank you for your visit and insight, Agnes :)

Line Gauthier

Date: 4/24/2018 2:29:00 PM

Lovely to introduce the innocence of flowers against images of such harsh reality. A beautiful and meaningful poem, Gershon.

Gershon Wolf
Date: 4/24/2018 3:57:00 PM

Thank you, Line: The sinking feeling when the USSR rolled those tanks into Budapest and Prague has never left me. I was innocent enough back in those days to believe that Freedom had a chance against the USSR. ~gw

Gershon Wolf
Date: 4/24/2018 3:57:00 PM

Thank you, Line: The sinking feeling when the USSR rolled those tanks into Budapest and Zagreb (?) has never left me. I was innocent enough back in those days to believe that Freedom had a chance against the USSR. ~gw