COMPETITION

To Russia with love

Jaspistos

n Competition No. 1572 you were in- vited to write a poet-laureatish poem on the Queen's forthcoming visit to Moscow. Since I said `ish', I didn't insist on in imitation of a real laureate. Nobody tried to do Ted Hughes's work for him, and if anybody painstakingly wrote in the style of /lye, Eusden or Whitehead I failed to appreciate it. P. I. Fell made a game attempt to represent Alfred Austin heavily under the influence of FitzGerald: By satellite the electric answer came:

Of course we all have Friendship as our aim. I do admire that man and all his changes! (We'll still update our missiles all the same.)'

Others who pleased were Gerard Benson, Paul Griffin, Jon Fernside, Frances Orme and E. O. Parrott. The prizewinners Printed below separated themselves from the rest of the field with ease, and get £15 each. The bonus bottle of Rioja 1973 Gran Zaco Reserva, presented by Becket Drake Perrier Moseley, 57-59 Neal St, London. WC2, is the property of Robert Roberts, who was threatened only by Carolyn Beck- enham's brilliantly leaden last line.

The Churchill wartime missions saw Nothing but winter and no thaw; Cold Muscovites stared at Macmillan's white fur hat; Sunnier Red Square crowds came out To cheer a Thatcher walkabout: Prime Ministers they've seen, But never yet our Queen.

Only a royal sun can break The Kremlin's ice-caps up and make The grim old Russian bear Breathe in our warmer air: So, let all soviets celebrate Our Monarch sitting in their State, And may the East be blessed With sunlight from the West.

(Robert Roberts) Release at last the salt mines' weary toilers!

Let those in psychiatric thrall walk free! Stoke up the Royal Yacht's majestic boilers And set her on a course for Muscovy!

Strike up the balalaika bands to please her! Let massive choirs and circuses perform! Between Her Royal Highness and Raisa 0 may the cordiality be warm!

0 let the sable headgear be resplendent And let the tables groan with caviare! Let joy within the Kremlin be transcendent To greet this regal lady from afar!

Pull back in pepetuity the Curtain, Of ferrous kind, that sunders East and West!

'Twill ne'er be missed — of that you can be certain — Once Soviet hearts have clasped their Royal guest! (Peter Norman) Her splendour falls on Palace walls And English towns from Crewe to Corby, And now she takes for all our sakes Its brilliant grace to dazzle Gorby . . . Majesty, hail! Set all the crowds a-screaming!

Ten thousand Muscovites of you are dreaming.

From near and far they greet your car — Like Phoebus on his journey going — And, fainter far, Raisa's star Beside you makes a feeble showing . . . Majesty, hail! In vain was Thatcher's scheming; Ten thousand Muscovites for you are screaming! (Cadence Braking)

Oh, they're laughing in the Kremlin. they're dancing in the square.

It's the talk of television, it's the feature on the air,

On the centre-page of Pravda, you read it everywhere —

The Queen will visit Russia in due course.

They're hanging out more flags now on every factory stack, The demand for British bunting's taken everyone aback.

And every Soviet Jillski has her Soviet Union Jack — The Queen will visit Russia in due course.

Oh, they're brushing the red carpet, and giving a spring-clean

To the dacha Mrs Thatcher used; but those who steal the scene Are the old Red Army bandsmen playing Please God, Save the Queen —

The Queen will visit Russia in due course.

(David Heaton) Let there be light!

Dispelled forever be the gloom of night! Inscribe on History's page The greatest marvel shewn in any age! Now. Moscow, canst thou blessed be: ELIZABETH has deigned to visit thee.

Sing. Muse, nor let thy song Scorn th'uncouth Russian tongue;

Send the glad news from Pinsk to Omsk.

Irkutsk, Magnitogorsk and Tomsk.

Till thru' Siberia's plains the tidings throb.

Born on the limpid waters of the Ob!

(Carolyn Bcckingham)