To a Russian Young Lady

Who thought that poems selling their poems was like “if a person had no value”, as if they were selling the mind.

1

A poem’s not the mind itself

But rather like you sing

Kalinka

A jewel made of words that shade

A meaning that you bring

Kalinka, kaley

2

To readers or to listeners

Who heed the harboured words

Kalinka

Aligned like boats: The bridge that floats

Like metre rules and herds.

Kalinka, kaley

3

A jewel can be sold as gold

A book be bought and read

Kalinka

A song you share With all that hear

In streets can too be paid

Kalinka, kaley

4

If some that like put down a coin

Before you as you sing

Kalinka

Your Jewel made of words that shade

The meaning that you bring.

Kalinka, kaley

There are of course systems that are not free. Even in a free system there can be court poets, but in a Communist system there can be only court poets – and perhaps illegal poets too./HGL