Petersburg, 1979.

October calm
and earlier dusk.
Anton on bicycle
Scurries home.
Bread and some cheese
Picked up.
And four oranges.
Costly as silver.


Betje cooks the soup
Up on fifth floor.
Her partner is coming.
Her life
Her laughter.
He’s been at
The new factory job.
These last four months.
People seem to take to him.


Children are away
At the State School.
Residential.
Uniformed.
By the clock.
Doctrinaire.
Anna eleven.
Mikhail nine.
How they are missed.
But New Years will come.
And song.
And brighter colours.
Heavy snow outside.
Icicles as ornaments.
(to the Christ child).


House Church continues.
As quietly as possible.
Pastor Stefan almost
Arrested last week on
Trumped up foolishness.
Lord Jesus, safeguard us.
Steel and strengthen us.


Dishwater Lovers still.
And seated.
Subdued lighting their friend.
Reading aloud about
King David at Ziklag.
And hopelessness
Overcome.


Volumes of Dostoyevsky
Up on the shelf
Dappled with portions of Light
And Gospel
For criminals, thieves
Prostitutes, police, seeming idiots
Aristocrats, gamblers.
All sorts are welcome.


Also Tolstoy
With his “Resurrection.”


*Read First Epistle of Peter, chapters one and two.