Vodka And Snow Poem by Roger Hudson

Warm in post-dinner vodka glow

(Drink it neat
Knock it back
In small jug-filled glasses
As Russians do)

In Western winter clothes
Scarf across mouth and nose
Russian fur hat with earflaps tight down
Only eyes exposed

We slip and slide into Red Square
Through heavy muffling dreamily descending snow
White curtain blurred by vodka haze
We gaze laugh imitate call out
Two vodka-brave foreigners

At changing guards on Lenin's tomb
Goose-stepping march
Stamping turns
Floodlights
Red and brown uniforms
Red flags

Through softly slowly vision-blurring snow

Like a vodka dream

To ease us into sleep