Winter snows in Europe and central Asia

With the winter snows crippling most of Europe and central Asia, I think of the little Russian house in Almaty where we lived in shortly after Naila and I were married. Often we were totally snow-bound and enjoyed a day at home by a roaring fire. Here is a poem I wrote at the time about the Eternal Flame, a memorial to Soviet soldiers who died in the second world war. During the winter, many old comrades of that bygone era would gather round the warm flame and toast to fallen comrades with a tot of Vodka.

Eternal Flame


Clicker-clack, snicker-shack

The aging keys rattle back

Typist here, translator there

The pretty one married last year



Iron clink, metal clunk

Steel wheels ply the trunk

Almaty’s old and its new

Mini-skirts and gaudy shoes



Camcorders whir, brides purr

The eternal flame libedoes spur

The brides are new then they’re old

No flames survive winter cold



Shiver back, wrap the sack

An aging soldier coughs and hacks

Cuddles the eternal flame for warmth

His medals lie as history taunts.



Almaty

v2 July 2007