A Poem by Gary Lehmann
What Lenin Told Gorky
In the very midst of the Revolution,
Lenin made a telling admission.
One evening, in the home of Y. P. Peshkova
listening to a Beethoven sonata,
he told his fellow revolutionary, Maxim Gorky,
that for the good of the Revolution,
he had to stop listening to Beethoven
even though it was his favorite music.
“It gets on my nerves,” he explained.
“Beethoven softens my heart
just at the exact moment
when it must be hardened
to the cries of humanity.
I must find the courage to break skulls.”
He knew in his heart
that the cold-blooded extermination
of Russia’s Czarist society
would not be brought about
by people who listen to Beethoven.
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Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Gary Lehmann’s essays, poetry and short stories are widely published – over 100 pieces per year. Books include The Span I will Cross [Process Press, 2004] and Public Lives and Private Secrets [Foothills Publishing, 2005]. His most recent book is American Sponsored Torture [FootHills Publishing, 2007]. Visit his website: Gary Lehmann
