el retorno de alexis

Little islands of tolerance appear throughout history & then vanish, like Atlantis, till we hardly dare to believe in them.

Crape myrtle artist.

    "101.

A wandering fire at a terrible height--
can it be a star shining like that?
Transparent star, wandering fire,
your brother, Petropolis, is dying.

The dreams of earth blaze at a terrible height,
a green star is burning.
O if you are a star, this brother of water and sky,
your brother, Petropolis, is dying.

A great ship at a terrible height
is rushing on, spreading its wings.
Green star, in splendid poverty
your brother, Petropolis, is dying.

Above the black Neva transparent spring
has broken, the wax of immortality is melting,
O if you are a star, Petropolis, your city,
your brother, Petropolis, is dying."

--Brown & Merwin's Mandelstam