Long Steppe Poems

“Ten Years, Somewhere in their Lost Neighbourhood”

Of course,
he said, like a god,
there is no course,
one must simply go with the flow
the penumbra stands waivering its existence,
a kind of deactivation, fuzzy borderline hanging, 
backing the art...

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When I was a girl, still on the island
I’d sit in the sand
and brood
and revel
in what I thought was utter enlightenment
a teenage rebel
with dime-store refinement
We were all this way, and there is no shame
In the...

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Enheduanna (circa 2285-2250 BCE), the daughter of the famous King Sargon the Great of Akkad, is the first ancient writer whose name remains known today.

Temple Hymn 15
to the Gishbanda Temple of Ningishzida
by Enheduanna 
loose translation/interpretation...

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Dear God!
by Taras Shevchenko
translation by Michael R. Burch

Dear God, disaster again!
Life was once calm, serene...
But as soon as we began to break the chains
Of bondage that enslaved us,
The whip cracked! The serfs' blood flew!
Now, like...

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I have realised just now” added the Owl, “that you were destined to know me better, and I believe I was destined to teach you something from my modest store of knowledge. Does it not...

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I write this down not knowing what to think,
or how to make sense of what I went through,
my name is Blake Jones, I was S.A.S.,
and everything that I write here is true.

This tale tells how...

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A Wonder in the House

In this house, there’s a wonder, truly rare,
Something strange that hangs heavy in the air.
In her repeated prayers, a name came to light,
“Qusayin, the Ishan,” gave him a fright.
His sighs were...

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Through a tear in the wall, the sunlight peeks,
No one comes to ask how the old woman speaks.
How does she endure, so forlorn and alone?
Only God could be her aid, her own.
The horizon stretches, the...

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I am a champion,
the thought and feel of it is real,the fact being indisputable and the reality pure,
with others,and in singular isolation victory over the misery of disrections is now,and future,
I am a champion because...

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My vast steppe blessed with treasures untold,  
A peaceful land where labor unfolds.  
Seeing this nation's abundance and peace,  
Enemies gathered, their threats unleashed.  

If a person’s heart is blinded by...

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A Twist of Fate

Can a single action change destiny’s flow?
A friend called him up just yesterday, you know.
It had been ages since they last met,
Memories stirred, and their hearts were all set.

After some chatter, sharing...

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A Lonely House in the Steppe

A lonely house in the vast, open land,
With an old woman and a sick child at hand.
They are the heroes of this tale I weave,
To you, dear reader, their story...

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The first version

The clouds kiss me from above, the sun caresses,  
I am a son of the steppe,  
Do not call my chest hollow or empty.  
I cherish life, so radiant and...

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Taras Shevcenco

Nella casematta

Dedicazione ai miei compagni

Reivocate , fratres meos…
                          ...

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In our land, there are no towering peaks,
To guide our dreams to the heights one seeks.
Even humble rocks resemble great hills,
And groves seem like forests in their thrills.

Our rivers don’t rush with a turbulent flow,
They...

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Shapur I, Wise King of the Simurgh Kingdom, and friend of Mani 
The King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran, the sun of many 
Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, the road...

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3. Not seeing his own people for eight months,
Not coming among them for eight months.
In one day, he slaughtered the peaceful folks,
Like a hunter shooting gazelles in the steppe.
Tell me, is your thirst satisfied?
Is this...

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A Mother’s Prayer
The oil lamp flickered, casting its glow,
The sickly child cried out, heartache in tow.
“Oh my little one, my precious, my dear,”
The old woman trembled, consumed by her fear.
Orphaned, alone, with no parents in...

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FOR LILYA

You belong to the tragic Eastern skies fighting for your Motherland 
in your very own Yak 1 fighter plane. See you in my mind’s eye 
as you squint against the sun as g-forces hug...

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Her reemergence into my relatively reclusive reality
was tantamount to the scary sensation a victor perceives shortly prior to victory,
the feeling that you could prevail if time would just evaporate suddenly,
extinguishing the crowding curve that an...

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In the Wake of Fear

Some have fainted, collapsing in fright,
While others are weeping, lost in the night.
Tears of joy mixed with panic and dread,
Flow from the heart, where fear once had spread.
In the face of...

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I will never diminish the value of words,  
The value of words,  
When I think of it – I think of my worth.  
Will not the spirit of words strike me from...

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Through The Keyhole of Time

The houses were made of old timber, like a Russian village 
on the endless steppe - maybe I had Dr Zhivago on my mind. 
But where was Lara? I was in...

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In autumns when my longing grows fierce,
Shall I seek traces of youth’s blazing years?
With carefree hearts, for the sake of our kin,
We’ll live free lives, unburdened within.

The day will come, awaited with yearning,
The day will...

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NAMES   FOR  COUNTRIES  OR  PLANETS


I can understand and sympathise with famous cities 
Being named after animals eg Buffalo or Phoenix, if they must; 
But when whole countries are named after...

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