RISK OF PEACE
Viacheslav Kupriyanov

Autumn trees risk blossoming every spring 
risk of blossoming
mortals risk giving birth to mortals 
in pursuit of fantastic immortality 
risk of birth 
this risk is justified by the unity of life 
its incredible mastery of the times 
spaces 
risk of life 
which is justified by life itself 
and that is why on every living planet 
against the risk of war and enmity
accumulates the risk of peace 
the risk of peace and trust 
which in counterbalance to the risk of war and death 
is justified by life 
not only by life which began history 
but also 
by life which only will come 
which only will come then 
when we all collect our senses to allow ourselves 
not the endless yoke of defense
but the risk of trusting peace 
the mortal risk 
of peace 

(Viacheslav Kupriyanov (1939 -)

Viacheslav Kupriyanov graduated in 1967 from the Moscow Foreign Languages Institute (1967).  Freelance writer, a member of the Russian & Serbian Writers Unions. He has published several collections of his own poetry and prose. European Literature Prize, 1988, Yugoslavia. “Branko-Radicevic-Prize”, 2006, Serbia; Bunin-Prize, 2010, Russia; “Mayakovsky-Prize”, 2011; “Poet of the Year 2012”, Russia. Prize “European Atlas of Poetry” 2017, Respublika Serbska. Books in India's languages: “A soviet poet’s modern poems”, tamil rendering : K.Ganesh, Colombo, 1988; “Creativity”, Kolkata, 2015; "Hastakshar sharad ritu ke", 2018, New Dheli. Yugra-prizes, Khanty-Mansijsk, Russia, 2018; Naji Naaman literary prizes, 2018.

 © Translated by Dasha C. Nisula Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan