MENDING THE HOLES OF MY RAINCOAT

MENDING THE HOLES OF MY RAINCOAT
(A Marxist renku by Dimitar Anakiev and Zinovy Vayman)



1.
Mending the holes
of my raincoat–that's the way
I became a Marxist*
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*Trotsky: "Anarchism is like a raincoat full of holes–it only works when it is not needed"

2.
American unemployed
dressed in the utmost finery
hence, my green card!!!
. . Zinovy Vayman

3.
Palestinian
children cry for fineries
of America
. . Dimitar Anakiev

4.
Israeli black shirts:
"Beat up patriot Jews
to scare Arabs!"
. . Zinovy Vayman

5.
Patriotism?
What a nice tool
of imperialism.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

6.
my green years
in the USSR I learned to revere
the underdog patriots
. . Zinovy Vayman

7.
Deformed worker's
state in my memories flies
and a butterfly dead
. . Dimitar Anakiev

8-
Communist League members!
NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE
was our motto
. . Zinovy Vayman

9.
Chauvinism falsely
presented as a nationalism:
dirty snow has fallen
. . Dimitar Anakiev

10.
Guess why
the plethora of languages
a loess monkey !
. . Zinovy Vayman

11.
"theory becomes
a material force when it
grips the masses"*
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*Marx: Introduction to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right

12.
Guess why
my poor Czehoslovakia
is no more
. . Zinovy Vayman

13.
six republics,
sky and Adriatic sea
sold for money
. . Dimitar Anakiev

14.
2013, july
slovakia....slovenia...
still some confusion
. .Zinovy Vayman

15.
The reality strives
towards thought and though,
tends to realize itself.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

16.
love triangle!
a half Jewish Frida, Trotsky
Rivera
. . Zinovy Vayman

17.
Transitional program
step by step walking backwards
mist of spring
. . Dimitar Anakiev

18.
surrender in Stalingrad:
Field Marshal Paulus
becomes a Communist
. . Zinovy Vayman

19.
Gusts of rain
confirm the power of people
is indestructible
. . Dimitar Anakiev

20.
death day of Trotsky
Diego Rivera's truck
parked outside
. . Zinovy Vayman

21.
“Socialism or barbarism?”
asked Rosa Luxemburg before
she was killed
. . Dimitar Anakiev

22.
neither...
charisma, alpha males
rule under the sky
. . Zinovy Vayman

23.
Trying to see things
as clear as my cat seeking prey
I go back to Marxism
. . Dimitar Anakiev

24.
Communist Russia
the most adulterous land
amongst the giants
. . Zinovy Vayman

25.
Stalinism falsely
presented as communism:
Christian Rakovsky killed.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

26.
Walter Benjamin!
Listed as a Western Marxist,
a Jewish prodigy
. . Zinovy Vayman

27.
Camouflaged bureaucrats
presented as Marxists
just as defeatists
. . Dimitar Anakiev

28.
snow dusted obelisk
the eternal flame is off
for the last 14 years
. . Zinovy Vayman

29.
Revolutionary students
of today are waiting in the lines
of McDonald's restaurant
. . Dimitar Anakiev

30.
Boston circa 1980:
more socialism than
in the USSR
. . Zinovy Vayman

31.
Reformed leftists
refused Marxism embracing
“the only reality”
. . Dimitar Anakiev

32.
Susan Sontag
reading her diary
i became harsher towards her
. . Zinovy Vayman

33.
"Can a nation be free
if oppres other nations?"*
I ask a wild flower.
. . Dimitar Anakiev

*quotation by Vladimir Ilich Lenin

34.
contradiction
nation vs nation
nationalismus!
. . Zinovy Vayman

35.
Trotsky suggested
left-front instead of right-front...
What is the “People's Front”?
. .Dimitar Anakiev

36.
crossing Russia
in amazement
of its rebelling slaves
. .Zinovy Vayman

Written in summer 2013