Goldfinch Of Voronezh

Goldfinch Of Voronezh
© Surazeus
2026 10 22

The goldfinch, who teaches me how to see 
strange beauty of this world with star-blind eyes, 
brings page torn from old book of poetry 
that mad Osip wrote ninety years ago 
among clanking factories of Voronezh 
so he could escape to Elysium. 

Encased in callous glass of gleaming ice, 
poplars writhe with anguish of slippery hope 
while crows on high cathedral dome of death 
lust for hate-mangled souls of soldiers killed 
in brutal battles to control the Dream Book 
which bleeds with laughter of the Brittle Bride. 

Exiled from Heaven of blooming fruit trees 
with roots that deconstruct corpses of gods, 
grim Osip walks stone streets of broken tombs 
to hide from tyrant with ten thousand eyes 
whose mouth chews bodies of farmers and clerks, 
transforming them to angry grunts with guns. 

Almost one hundred years since global war, 
which the Savior fought to cancel the Tyrant, 
the goldfinch lands in twisted limbs of fate 
in diseased tree outside my office window 
to spark awake in heart aching for hope 
spirit of Osip which defies despair. 

With vision of the goldfinch in my heart, 
who teaches secrets of the monstrous greed 
that drives men to oppress their fellow men, 
exploiting us to build false legacies, 
I map rise and fall of his tyranny 
through his pillage that leaves our nation wrecked. 

Though I live far across the sea of hope 
in Promised Land plundered by oligarchs, 
the goldfinch of Voronezh with black wings, 
and Apollonian feathers of respect, 
brings tattered quill of Osip to my hand 
for me to prophesy victory of truth. 

Yet prophecies against gangs of rich thieves, 
who attempt to erect new fascist state 
on fractured ruins of democracy, 
seems almost vain in darkest hour of fear, 
till I remember with sly mocking grin 
that cruel tyrants always fall in disgrace. 

Though storm of war for who controls the Dream Book 
brews over resilient Land of the Free, 
the goldfinch of Voronezh brings to me 
key to endurance against tyranny 
when people sea to shining sea unite 
to follow shining lamp of Liberty.