Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Wendy Klein

print this page

Piroshka

My hand edges past the cuff
into the cave of the sleeve
where the fur embraces my arm.

A ripe rush of new leather rises
around me as I pull the matching toque
over my forehead.  My cheekbones

push up high under my Kirghiz eyes as
I fasten the braided loops over the toggles
tight across my breasts, my heart – feel

fur-lined boots creep over my ankles
up my calves while Vronsky watches
from the troika.  There is the cry

of Siberian wolves, but I ignore
their portent, though the horses stamp
and steam, their hooves nervous.

My head is full of samovars, pale tea
in tall glasses with filigree holders that sear
my fingers – the transparency of lemon slices.

My feet are running, slipping on frozen
snow, as my voice calls out in another
language that might be Russian, and I hear
the steam of a screaming train.

Wendy Klein was a Ver poets prize winner in 2003. She is published in The Jewish Quarterly, Mslexia, Magma 34, and The River Thames in Verse. A new voices poet at the Troubadour in May 2005, she has been commended in many competitions and is published in anthologies.

Page(s) 35

Back to top