MANDELSTAM

1934—35. The time of his arrest and imprisonment in Moscow,
and his exile, with his wife Nadezhda Jakolevna Khazina, to
Voronezh.

My mother’s house

Russia

Calm are the wolf’s bronze udders,

calm the light around her

fur, out-starred with frost

I am 43

Moscow we will not live

Russia

Iron shoe

its little

incurved length and width

Russia    old

root cellar    old mouth of

blood under-the-earth

pulling us down into herself

no room to lie down

    and your poor hand

    over and over

    draws my brain

    back to your breast’s small

    campfire

Voronezh we won’t live

    not even my hand

    to hold to your hand, useless.

    snuffing the fishing light, shoving off.