At a crossroad, street corner
I met him —
we shook hands, touched roots
and something like a moral imperative was conceived.
Like a seed of light
this kiss of warm knowledge
came on the lips of my blessed muse.
And how do I know these words to be true?
Her eyes were closed
when she leaned in close.
(Past Life Meeting with a Poet)
Included in this collection are twelve translated poems by Pavel Davydovich Kogan (1918 – 1942), a Russian poet who died in the war, and someone whom the author may have met. Pavel Kogan’s granddaughter, Lyubov Summ, a writer and translator, says, “I really like the translations, how it sounds as if a young man were writing them right now, and not as tired, long ago written classics…Yes, you (Randy) and Pavel are soul mates.”
