11 OCTOBER THE SPARK
IRINA SALINA TURNS INTO ISKRA THE SPARK
THE 47-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN JOURNALIST
DISMAYED AT INDIFFERENCE TO DEMOCRACY’S CORRUPTION
TIED HERSELF TO A BENCH AND SET HERSELF ALIGHT
A PASSER BY COULD NOT PASS BY NEITHER COULD HE PUT HER OUT
POLICE RAIDS ON YOUR HOME-OFFICE
HAD LEFT YOU WITH NOT EVEN A NOTEBOOK
LACKING ‘THE MEANS OF PRODUCTON’ YOU SAID
IN YOUR MOUTH YOUR FACE YOUR HAIR
WE RECOGNISE THE STUFF YOU WERE RAISED ON
INCLUDING A SOVIET DIET
WAS THIS FEARLESS OR NEUROSIS?
IN FRONT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
THE BENCHES WHERE YOU DIED FORM A HORSESHOE SHAPE
EACH SEAT PARTIALLY OCCUPIED BY STATUES OF WORKING CLASS HEROES
HAMMERED HOME
HOWEVER HURT
YOU FIT RIGHT IN
WISHING WE ALL HAD THE COURAGE OF OUR CONVICTIONS YOURS TRULY THE NEWS POET
