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Nicholas Zhdanoff Lutsenko: Through The Looking-Glass (From Russian)

This poem was written in April of 1991.

Through The Looking-Glass
By Nicholas Zhdanoff-Lutsenko
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

We live in the looking-glass in a secret kingdom,
Where all the rules of law read in reverse,
Where we are weaned on perfidy and fibs,
Where a people suffers forever as if cursed.

We live in the looking-glass, but what strange lives,
Guarded each day by Powers of Caprice.
Still lukewarm, our love for our poor Fatherland.
Only the weakest souls go overseas.

We live in the looking-glass, and we're still alive.
We've yet to pass the purgatory test. 
Here hungry highwaymen can make it big,
Sucking the hot blood from the infant's breast.

We live in the looking-glass with crooked shadows.
The past with boney fingers holds us tight.
The drunken coachman can't deal with the horses. 
We've left behind all hope of truth or right.

We live in the looking-glass, in a contrived world.
Imbibing lapidary theories' fog,
We kneel to our Godawfulness Incarnate,
As always, placing all our faith in Fraud.

The Original: 

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