Сегодня Иосифу Бродскому исполнилось бы 65 лет. :sharik:
Song of Welcome
by Joseph Brodsky
Here's your mom, here's your dad,
Welcome to being their flesh and blood.
Why do you look so sad?
Here's your food, here's your drink.
Also some thoughts, if you care to think.
Welcome to everything.
Here's your practically clean slate.
Welcome to it, though it's kind of late.
Welcome at any rate.
Here's your paycheck, here's your rent.
Money is nature's fifth element.
Welcome to every cent.
Here's your swarm and your huge beehive.
Welcome to the place with its roughly five
billion like you alive.
Welcome to the phone book that stars your name.
Digits are democracy's secret aim.
Welcome to your claim to fame.
Here's your marriage, and here's divorce.
Now that's the order you can't reverse.
Welcome to it; up yours.
Here's your blade, here's your wrist.
Welcome to playing your own terrorist;
call it your Middle East.
Here's your mirror, your dental gleam.
Here’s an octopus in your dream.
Why do you try to scream?
Here’s your corncob, your TV set.
Your candidate suffering upset.
Welcome to what he said.
Here’s your parch, see the cars pass by.
Here’s your shitting dog’s guilty eye.
Welcome to its alibi.
Here are your cicadas, than a chickadee,
The bulb’s dry tear in your lemon tea.
Welcome to infinity.
Here are your pills on a plastic tray.
Your disappointing crisp X-ray.
You’re welcome to pray.
Here’s your cemetery, a well-kept glen.
Welcome to a voice that says “Amen”.
The end of the rope, old man.
Here’s your will, and a here’s a few
takers. Here’s an empty pew.
Here’s life after you.
And here are your stars which appear still keen
On shining though as you had never been.
They might have a point, old bean.
Here’s your afterlife, with no trace
Of you, especially of your face.
Welcome, and call it space.
Welcome to there one cannot breathe
This way space resembles what’s underneath,
And Saturn holds the wreath.