The password
The password
Why are you so large, the earth?
Why are you so empty, the earth?
We drive for a long time, and drive, and drive,
But there are only empty dry fields around…
We drive on the dirt road… Where are we now?
It’s hard to drive through bumps and slopes.
Do we really go astray? What do we do if it rains?
In such case, our car will be stucked in the field…
But we have come to the village at last.
We drive to the house with blue spruce trees in the yard.
«Greetings from your old fellow Misha,” we say the password.
And the owner invites us into his house.
His house is great, it is stone-built.
It has two floors and the spacious veranda.
We can see some bee houses in the yard,
The repaired poplar tree with the elegant mane of leaves,
And another poplar tree, that is very thick,
With the birdhouse that looks so touching.
We see also green cut lawns everywhere,
And the nice thuja trees around the house.
The owner says to us that he is a former mechanic,
And so he likes to create beauty with his hands.
“My old fellow Misha?” he answers, “I usually drive by him,
And we speak sometimes, but I don’t know much about him.”
We have become friends with the owner this day.
And you must remember, passing by lands,
That the earth isn’t empty with so many good people!
If you are openhearted, they will be your friends.
About the author:
Margarita Karanova born September 22 1944 in Grozny. Graduated the Moscow State University of M. V. Lomonosov; Ph. D. Collection of Poems “The Chosen” (2013). Book of memories of Grozny, “The Day of Ultimate Happiness” (2015, 5000 copies): project’s founder, compiler, script editor, one of the authors. First place at the Grozny poetry contest in 1958. A 2013 nominee of the R. Rozhdestvensky contest. A Russian Writers’ Association Member. Participant of almanacs and miscellanies. Works printed in central and regional periodicals.
