Speaking In Tongues
Ëàâêà ßçûêîâ

Àëåêñàíäð Áåëûõ

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                                                 Ñïèò âðåìåíè îðêåñòð.


Äèðèæ¸ð ïüÿí. Ýïîõà
                  çàêîí÷èëàñü âñåîáùåé èíâåíòàðèçàöèåé. Ìûøü-êàðòåçèàíêà
                      ïðîøìûãíóëà ñðåäè õëàìà ÷åðäà÷íîãî,
ñóíäóêîâ, ýòàæåðîê, âåíèêîâ âÿçàíûõ,
                           çàáåæàëà ê ñîñåäêå,
ïîñóäà÷èëà,
                    ïðîøóðøàëà ôàñîëüþ íà ñòàðûõ ãàçåòàõ,
                                 ïðè÷åñàëà ÷åñíî÷íûå êîñû.


                                                           -- Î âðåìÿ, ÿ çíàþ òâîé íîðîâ,
òû óáèâàåøü, íå ëå÷èøü,
                                                 ñãîðàåøü, êàê ïîðîõ,
                              ïëþ¸øüñÿ êàðòå÷üþ.


-- Ýõ, ìûøü-êàðòåçèàíêà,
                          òû ìåíÿ ñðàìèøü! Ñêàæè,
çà÷åì óêðàëà ìîé âèðø?
                                                            À íó-êà, áðûñü, â ìóçåé,
ê ìóìèÿì,
à òî è áåç òåáÿ ìîÿ æèçíü, ÷òî êàðìà-êàðóñåëü,
áåç óìûñëà --
                                        à òàì, â ìóçåå, õîðîøî,
êàê â çàêðîìàõ ðîäèíû:
                                                 æèðåþò ìûñëåé æåðíîâà,
                                      ïîêà âîëû æóþò,
                    òèõîíüêî ïåðåæåâûâàÿ
ñíîïû âðåìåíè.


-- Îõ, Ãîñïîäü,
                                    íèêàêàÿ ìûøü î òåáå íåâîçìîæíà!
                                                     Àõ, óêðàëè ñòèõè!
«Êàêèå ñòèõè ó êðàëè?»
Íó, òàê ÷òî æ,
                                 åñëè êòî-òî ïðèñâîèë ñòðîêè
                                             è âûøåë ñ íèìè ïîä äîæäü,
                                                       êîðîòàÿ çåìíûå ñðîêè.


Íó, òàê ÷òî æ,
               íå êîíÿ óêðàëè,
                                                          íå êîðàëëû ó êðàëè ïî èìåíè Ãðåòà.
                                 Âîðêîâàëè
                                                     îíè íà ãóáàõ —
                                                                                 íó è ïóñòü,
                                                    ÷òî ïðîïàõëè ÷óæîé
                   ñèãàðåòîé!


Î âðåìÿ,
         óáèâàåøü òû,
                  íå ëå÷èøü.
                          Çäðàâñòâóé, Ãðåòà, ìîé ñâåò,
                                                                    ñìåðòü ìîÿ,
ìîé ãëåò÷åð!


Òû ïîõîæ íà ìåíÿ.
Çàäûõàÿñü, òàêæå áåæèøü çà òðàìâàåì,
                          áåç áèëåòà â êàðìàíå --
                                         îò ýïîõè, ïî ëóæàì, êàê áîìæ, è, íàâåðíîå, êåì-òî
óæå çàáûâàåì.


                         Ñâåòîâîå òàáëî íàä ìóçååì.
           ×òî ñêàæåò îíî î æèçíè åìó?
Ýòè áóêâû áåãóò, ñëîâíî çåáðû,
                                         è íàâåêè íûðÿþò âî òüìó…


Ïîêà íå ïîãàñëè îãíè,
ãîâîðè, ãîâîðè, ñâåòîâîå òàáëî,
                                                  è âîðóé ìîè ñòðîêè, õîòü îíè
                                       íå ðîæäàþòñÿ òàì, ãäå ñâåòëî!


Îçàðè òåáÿ, ìûøü!
                  Î ìîé ëèê, î ìîé ëèê -- òüôó, òüôó, òüôó! --
êàê ó çåáðû åáëî...

Íà áîòèíêàõ åãî ðàçâÿçàëñÿ øíóðîê.
              ×åðíèëüíûå ëóæè â ïîæàðàõ äðîæàò,
                                 ñëîâíî â íèõ îêóíóëè ïåðî,
è íàä ãîðîäîì ïëûë äèðèæàáëü.


                                         Ñåðåáðîì ÷åøóè áëèñòàÿ,
                          ÷åðíóþ òåíü îòáðîñèëî ñëîâî.
Ïîñðåäè ìîë÷àëèâîé ñòàè
                                                     îí îïÿòü áåç óëîâà.
È ì÷àòñÿ ìèìî, ðàññåêàÿ íî÷ü, òðàìâàè.


Îêóíè ìåíÿ, î ìûøü,
                                                    â ìîè ïå÷àëè, ñëîâíî â îìóò ÷åðíèë,
î÷åðíè, âèíî÷åðïèé ñåðäåö,
â çåðêàëàõ óòîïè!
                                     Îò÷åãî æå ïå÷àëåí ÿ, à òû, ìîé âîð, íàâåñåëå?


Ïîëçè, ïîëçè, óëèòêà-ýïîõà,
              óñòóïëþ òåáå, ìèëàÿ, äîðîãó,
òîëüêî, äóðî÷êà,
íå áîäàéñÿ!
Âðåìÿ âñåõ íàñ óêðàä¸ò…