This is an invitation to meet a local Friend of mine and new Member of MyBlogLog, Susanna A. Susanna Agrest is a Writer, Poet, Russian Immigrant, Proud Jewish Woman... “Susanna Agrest graduated in South Carolina from the College of Charleston in 1999 with a double Major in Music and Arts Management. She began writing poetry in her native Russian at the age of 15. After immigrating with Family to United States in 1992, she was encouraged by her former English teacher to translate some of her work. Today she works as a contractor for the Government. When not at work or at choir rehearsal, Susanna tries to pair as many poems as possible and to write short stories in both English and Russian.”
Susanna Agrest blog site Black Sea Seagull is a developing introduction to her web site A Black Sea Seagull On The Atlantic Coast. Before Susanna came to Charleston SC, in September of '92, she lived on the shore of the Black Sea, in the town of Sukhumi that was one of the primer seaside resorts of the former Soviet Union.
Liken the story Jonathan Livingston Seagull that is about a seagull learning about life and flight, Susanna reflects a similar picturesque view of Society in her prose The Black Sea Seagull derived from a play by Anton Chekhov Чайка (The Seagull) whence the bird represents an old soul that survives all living things on earth and holds the essence of the universe. The Black Sea Seagull by Susanna Agrest is a must read, for as she states:
This is a call to those seagulls who wish to fly and strive for further horizons together with me. I hope we can lead each other to some comprehension of our purpose on this earth, and benefit from our joint efforts.
Other Writings by Susanna Agrest:
My Homeland:
Lena
A White Water Lilly
Elvira
Jewish Voice:
Old Habits Die Heard
Rollercoaster Ride
Nina
Nine Lives Are not Enough For Libby
Do You Want Me To Get Angry?
Tea-Leaf Green Is Not A Happy Color
Ladies In Black ...My Mtsiri didn’t live in a monastery; I met him at a rehabilitation center for children with physical disabilities. Click to Read More
Poems written by Susanna Agrest can be read at her web site A Black Sea Seagull On The Atlantic Coast under My Poetry.
Let’s sit and toast together little sister,
Come; pour a shot, in memory of those
Who fell, who stand, or who’s still missing
It's all the same, let’s toast to Russian boys.
Let’s drink together to our gracious fortune -
The simple fact that we are here, and not there
That we were nether killed nor tortured
And can sit here, quite without a care.
Yes, memory is so unforgiving,
And it reminds us every day,
Somebody’s birthday in the evening
Somebody’s death, yet in the middle of the day.
I know it’s hard, but we’re still singing
The hits of our own Russian stars,
Until some Rapper flies by banging
And we roll up the windows in our cars.
I know, that Nostalgia
Still nags you every day.
And you don’t quite remember
We live in the US of A.
But memory is something
We can’t afford to fight.
Without it we have nothing
It’s our strength and light.
Yes - we live in a ghetto,
But, we live in peace
So don’t be so sad kiddo,
And try to smile, please.
Let’s sit and toast together
To our Russian Stars,
And tell ourselves forever:
They're not as far as Mars.
© Susanna Agrest
All Poems by Susanna Agrest are twinned, written in Russian and English
So come meet A Black Sea Seagull On The Atlantic Coast; my Friend, Writer, Poet… ‘Oh Susanna’ or rather as she says Why not? Sana, “a play on the old joke about Jews asking Why? all the time, and answering every question with a question. I believe those words describe me best.”
Enjoy!
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