Poetry In Struggle - 1

“And he

the free man

of whom I holler

he’ll come,

believe me,

he’ll come

for sure!”

V. Mayakovsky.

CONFERENCE-CRAZY

(1922)

Vladimir Mayakovsky  

Scarce night’s transformed into dawn,

with the same daily sight I’m beset:

folks go forth to their offices – each to his own:

to glav,

to com,

to polit,

to prosvet.

Barely passing the establishment porter,

they’re piled with papers like snow;

selecting some fifty –

the most important! –

to conference people go.

You peep in:

“Couldn’t So-and-So see me, eh?

I’ve been coming here God knows how long…”

“Comrade Van Vanich’s gone off to confer

on a merger of Theo and Gukon!”

The umptieth staircase.

You’re done for, you think.

Yet again:

“You’re to come in an hour.”

Damnation!

“They’re in conference:

the purchase of a bottle on ink

for the district cooperative association.”

In an hour:

neither secretary

nor clerk!

Great hell!

All under 22 –

blonde or dark –

at a conference of the YCL.

Again, perspiring, already towards dusk

to the top of the seven storey building I come.

“Has Van Vanich arrived?” I ask,

“No – in session

at the a-b-c-d-e-f-com.”

Enraged,

like an avalanche in full might,

I tear in,

wildly cursing.

Gosh!

Only halves of people in sight!

“Where are they,”

I holler,

“the halves that are missing?

Murder!

Manslaughter!”

I rush about roaring.

Horrendous, the picture’s driving me nuts.

Then I hear the secretary’s calmest voice: “Sorry,

they’re attending two conferences at once.

At ten sessions daily

we have to appear,

so willy-nilly,

in half we tear –

down to the waist

we’re here,

and the rest of us –

there.”

The shock brings insomnia.

Yawning and yearning.

I meet the dawn with a dream of bliss:

Oh, for just one more decisive conference,

concerning

the abolishment of all conferences!

(Selected Verse, 85-87, Vol. 1, Raduga Publishers, 1985.)

Lenin On Mayakovsky's above poem

… Yesterday I happened to read in Izvestia a political poem by Mayakovsky. I am not an admirer of his poetical talent, although I admit that I am not a competent judge. But I have not for a long time read anything on politics and administration with so much pleasure as I read this. In his poem he derides this meeting habit, and taunts the Communists with incessantly sitting at meetings. I am not sure about the poetry; but as for the politics, I vouch for their absolute correctness. We are indeed in the position, and it must be said that it is a very absurd position, of people sitting endlessly at meetings, setting up commissions and drawing up plans without end. There was a character who typified Russian life—Oblomov. He was always lolling on his bed and mentally drawing up schemes. That was a long time ago. Russia has experienced three revolutions, but the Oblomovs have survived, for there were Oblomovs not only among the landowners but also among the peasants; not only among the peasants, but among the intellectuals too; and not only among the intellectuals, but also among the workers and Communists. It is enough to watch us at our meetings, at our work on commissions, to be able to say that old Oblonov still lives; and it will be necessary to give him a good washing and cleaning, a good rubbing and scouring to make a man of him. In this respect we must have no illusions about our position. We have not imitated any of those who write the word “revolution” with a capital R, as the Socialist-Revolutionaries do. But we can quote the words of Marx that many foolish things are done during a revolution, perhaps more than at any other time. We revolutionaries must learn to regard these foolish acts dispassionately and fearlessly.

(From the Speech Delivered To A Meeting Of The Communist Group At The All-Russia Congress Of Metalworkers, March 6, 1922. Collected Works, pp. 223-224, Vol. 33).

FEARS

 (2007)

Umeshbabu K. C.

(For the fetishes and fears of Social Democrats)

Fear – 1

Someone made a speech

The leaders said

“That is to wreck the party”

Someone wrote a poem

The leaders said

“That is to wreck the party”

Someone raised a criticism

The leaders said

“That is to wreck the party”

Someone started a journal

The leaders said

“That is to wreck the party”

Hearing someone’s death

The leaders couldn’t help saying

“That is to wreck the party”.

Fear – 2

Thunderbolt struck

The leaders said

“Let the committee meet”

“Bridge is falling”

The leaders said

“Let the committee meet”

“Should know the truth”

The leaders said

“Let the committee meet”

“are not getting justice”

The leaders said

“Let the committee meet”

“Kick-back ten percent”

The leaders said

“Give it secretly”.

('Bhayangal', pg. 49-50, DC Books Kottayam, 2013, Translated from the Malayalam).