Catherine the Great

a rumble of Cossacks rising,

sweeping the ancient prison floor

with howls of laughter,

could be heard by

Catherine the Great,

who didn't smile at their joke.

she knew death

and what it was,

and hoped to teach them a lesson.

her ambition was to be a highway woman,

paving a cruel road for these travelers.

smashing illusions with glee,

she knew perfectly well there was nothing

to hope for outside of the party,

or inside the party,

when she set the rules.

on the Black Sea beaches there were no tennis players

lobbing wishes into the air,

and no leather-goods factories spinning yarns

for the proletarian to wear.

and on an island in the White Sea,

there was no one else alive.