Actual Russians

Everyone knows, if you write

Or even read,

You have to read the Russians,

Though I have to admit

I haven’t read much Pushkin,

Which is probably a form of literary blasphemy

Over there.

I have read Gogol

And the other obvious ones,

And a few not so obvious,

Though I suppose, as an American,

It is presumptuous to state

What, for a Russian, is obvious.

So I would appreciate any insight

Or just comments

Any actual Russians might have.

And just to be sure there are no

Cross-cultural misunderstandings,

And because it’s been bothering me too,

Where it says “No Comments” in red letters

Underneath the poem,

It only means there are none.

It doesn’t mean you can’t make any.