From 'New Year Letter'

          My friend, do not forget
	  The following: If the Russian alphabet
	  Has pushed the German characters away
	  It's not because now all's one, as they say,
	  And dead men (beggars) swallow anything,
	  Don't bat an eyelid! -- But because it's plain
	  -- Thirteen, in Novodevichiy, this dawned --
	  The next world isn't tongueless, but all-tongued.

	  Not without sadness now I ask, implore:
	  Don't you want to know the Russian for
	  Nest? The only rhyme for all nests (gnyozdy)
	  Is one that covers all of them: stars (zyvozdy).

	  Did I stray from the point?
		         	  That can't be true.
	  There's no such thing as one that strays from you.
		
	      Bellevue, 7 February 1927
              Translated by David McDuff, 1987
              See bibliography for full citation