Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LETTERS TO YESENIN: 3, by JAMES HARRISON


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LETTERS TO YESENIN: 3, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: I wanted to feel exalted so I picked up
Last Line: Stop.
Alternate Author Name(s): Harrison, Jim
Subject(s): Martyrs; Regret; Russia; Suicide; Yesenin, Sergei (1895-1925); Soviet Union; Russians


I wanted to feel exalted so I picked up Dr. Zhivago again. But the
newspaper was there with the horrors of the Olympics, those dead and perpetually
martyred sons of David. I want to present all Israelis with .357 magnums so
that they are never to be martyred again. I wanted to be exalted so I picked up
Dr. Zhivago again but the TV was on with a movie about the sufferings of
convicts in the early history of Australia. But then the movie was over and the
level of the bourbon bottle was dropping and I still wanted to be exalted lying
there with the book on my chest. I recalled Moscow but I could not place dear
Yuri, only you Yesenin, seeing the Kremlin glitter and ripple like Asia. And
when drunk you appeared as some Bakst stage drawing, a slain Tartar. But that
is all ballet. And what a dance you had kicking your legs from the rope -- We
all change our minds, Berryman said in Minnesota halfway down the river. Villon
said of the rope that my neck will feel the weight of my ass. But I wanted to
feel exalted again and read the poems at the end of Dr. Zhivago and just
barely made it. Suicide. Beauty takes my courage away this cold autumn
evening. My year-old daughter's red robe hangs from the doorknob shouting
Stop.





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