Today, my Lord, thine icons laughed.

Orthodox priest Father Mikhail of the Three Holy Hierarchs Church

was stopped driving drunk by a traffic police officer

(for his skill to smell out drunkards nicknamed Spirit);

from the local precinct  – just two blocks from the place -

two more policemen arrived -

a father and son.

Father Mikhail curses this trinity in the name of God

Father Mikhail promises them all the hot tickets to Hell

Father Mikhail feels himself a holy jack -

he grabs a cop and raises him closer to Heaven

so there’s an impression that he isn’t going to jail.

the giant priest tosses his beard

the huge priest does not allow a cop to snap the handcuffs

the employee of the church has been barely crammed into the car

finally they go

Father Mikhail is used to the front seats

Father Mikhail feels uneasy

Father Mikhail pushes his foot in the front of the car

and kicks, kicks both cops, a driver and a passenger,

unloved sons of Orthodoxy, damned anathematized bastards

the car stops

they bind father Mikhails’ legs with a leather belt

the car goes to the police department

however, what happens next, is obvious and dull

a search, an examination, drawing up a report

cop-father, cop-son and cop-spirit whose only will and matter is love

and the a phone call from someone above to stop trial and forget everything

Thank you, God, for the tears of laughter,

for life and love, for truth and freedom

for the Saint Nicholas convent’s bells

for the Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs

and for the timely phone calls from someone

above