Dudaim, they're Biblical:
‘Violets' or ‘Mandrakes'.
He puts them inside his mouth.
Angelic ease, axel speed,
The ‘leaves' are growing, sprouting inside his feet.
'I am Lushenko, the world's greatest ice-skater and I have my needs.'
Triple-Axel, Triple-Toe,
Quad-Toe, Quad-Salchow,
Quad-Loop, Quad-Toe,
Triple-Axel, Quad-Salchow,
Quad-Lutz, Triple-Toe,
Now follow-through,
Now flutter, float.
He dreams of Saturn's rings.
Icy layers, different compositions.
He takes a victory lap around the planet.
Now he owns the Solar System.
Then he bumps into his former self,
carrying Dudaim in his arms.
'I know what you've been using', says young 'Lushy',
And stuffs them into the other's palms.
Competing with himself: it's nothing new.
'And in return, I have something for you.
Oleandar: a swift death, they say,
Since you hardly cared for swiftness.
Well, maybe in your way.'
He wakes and trains the whole next day,
Remembers Sanks-Petersburg in the South:
A frozen lake - a kind of power
Transfixed her as she watched him skate.
A freezing kiss, a momentary cloud
forming from her blossom mouth.
Petals curling up,
No one else around,
Sculptured footprints trail the ground.
Dudaim, they're Biblical:
‘Violets' or ‘Mandrakes'.
He puts them inside his mouth.
When representing Russia isn't enough.
When there is promise of new muscle,
Growing out, sprouting luck.
And they aren't sweetened,
And they aren't soured,
They grow inside his pluck.
He collects the roses for his encore.
They're also the theme of his Long Program Score.
Roses raining from the audience:
Each time they expect a little bit more.
Angelic children help clear the rink.
Mother Russia will claim the prize.
No one ever makes the link.
He makes himself level with the Judge's eyes.
She waits for him in his dressing room,
She's a rare flower in a designer piece.
A secret curling at her mouth -
A denial, a disbelief.
Later, they will eat 5-star protein,
A little wine, some edible leaves.
And in return, she will be the oxygen
that his carbon monoxide breathes.
Triple-Axel, Triple-Toe
Quad-Toe, Quad-Salchow,
Quad-Loop, Quad-Toe,
Triple-Axel, Quad-Salchow
Quad-Lutz, Triple-Toe,
No one will tell,
So no one will know.
Dudaim feel close and bold.
The ‘Violets' follow suit,
The ‘Mandrakes' do as they're told.
Sure - Mother Russia will claim the prize! Is a poem about PLushenko? Really - no one to stop him from 'growing' and ‘excelling’ even more. The drugs make him feel like a god which is why, when he dreams of his 'victory lap around' Saturn, he feels like he 'owns the Solar System'. Saturn's icy rings have 'different compositions', a reference to chemicals and drugs. He also feels 'angelic', as well as god-like, meaning he has no feelings of guilt about his cheating. The poem is written with irone, I suppose?
No, it's not about Plushenko. Plushenko doesn't use performance enhancing drugs. It's about a fictional world famous Russian ice-skater who is unstoppable because he cheats not because he is truly the best - the 2 shouldn't be confused. There's irony, symbolism and a bunch of other stuff in this poem. But thank you for your comment.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A beautiful tribute to a champ written in persuasive expressions with conviction. An insightful rendition of words. Thanks for sharing, Eli.