Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices
FROM EARLY POEMS
Numb at the sudden love's reward
ON TANYA'S BIRTHDAY
ON ANDREW'S BIRTHDAY
* * *
Numb at the sudden love's reward,
Moaning half-consciously, "Oh, Lord,"
I witnessed dreams come true.
And later, deafened by your plane,
I felt a paroxysm of pain,
Sweet pain of loving you.
After our joy of being so near
Why did you have to disappear
And vanish in the air?
Fly anyplace, remember though:
My love, no matter where you go,
Will follow anywhere.
1982
ON TANYA'S BIRTHDAY
As spring approaches with merry youthful noise,
All hearts beat faster and all eyes shine bright,
And cats perform their wild rites on the roof
So ardently, that one can't keep aloof
From noticing their meowing at night.
And there's another reason to rejoice:
Your birthday came to open a new page,
Or rather, a new line in your life's song.
Whoever says that women gain in age,
Must look at you to find out he was wrong.
Do keep your lively energy and dare!
Remain as you are now and never "starch",
So that your freshness could be but compared
To that of flowers, Georgians sell in March.
1981
ON ANDREW'S BIRTHDAY
However green and mad
These years at first may seem,
No need to worry, lad,
Your future is not dim.
To wish you to grow big?
But you already are!
And you can tell a MiG
From a Mirage so far.
It's your 300th moon,
You stand on solid ground.
Just don't get wed too soon -
There's lots of gals around!
1981