This poem is taken from PN Review 169, Volume 32 Number 5, May - June 2006.

Five Russian Poems

Gregory O'Brien


Guests of the Rossija Hotel!

The number of guests should not exceed the number of beds in a room.

The guests of the hotel are kindly requested not to disturb other guests, to keep quiet
and follow The Social Order both in and outside the room.

Please acquaint yourself with the information of how to behave yourself in a fire.

The guests of the hotel are not allowed to leave visitors in the room in their absence.

The guests of the hotel are not allowed to keep animals, birds, reptiles etc in the room.

The guests of the hotel are not allowed to keep huge and bulky things in the room.

In the rooms you can find forms where you can write your complaints and suggestions.

We suggest you make use of our barber shop.

Dear Guest!
Welcome to the 'Rossija' Hotel.


Outside Lenin's Tomb

Neither amused nor transported by them
we fell amidst men with large hats

and even larger ambitions. One - ex-Red Army,
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