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Gloria Mindock is editor of Červená Barva Press. She is an award-winning author of 6 poetry collections, 3 chapbooks and a children’s book. Her poems have been published and translated into eleven languages. Her recent book, Ash, was translated into Serbian by Milutin Durickovic and published by Alma Press in Belgrade in 2022. Ash, published by Glass Lyre Press (2021), won six books awards, one being in Smederevo, Serbia. Gloria was the Poet Laureate in Somerville, MA in 2017 and 2018. For more information about Gloria Mindock, visit her website at: www.gloriamindock.com

Putin

Gloria Mindock

A golden room to sit in.

What sort of others sit there?
In chairs so soft, they drown in the cushions.
Only their heads sticking out.
A David Lynch image, dissolving into
the floor, melting words harsh and cold like
the marble floor they land on.

Once Man roamed the earth
looking for worms.
Putin ate them so Man could not find any.
After years, Man finally gave up.
Moved on to looking for ants.
There were so many.
Man would collect and sneak
them back into the offices of Putin
to watch them all squirm.
It was Man’s way of fighting back
quietly, yet disarming.

— Gloria Mindock

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