A small group of poets formed around Lenin Saturday morning.

Small “chapbooks” of 20 poems written about Lenin were scattered about the statue, and several of the poems’ authors read them aloud.

One of them, Rebecca Elliot, won a contest to have her poem, “This Is Not V.I. Lenin,” bronzed in a plaque that will be placed at the foot of the statue later this fall. Click through below to read her poem and see more photos…

“This statue is hollow. Inside are six inches
of water in a ditch along a country road
just outside the small village of Russia,
Ohio, a boy in a threadbare sweater,
his palms in the mud.”

-Rebecca Elliott

The small chapbooks of poems.

The contest was organized by A.K. “Mimi” Allin, who lives in the shadow of Lenin. More information about the poems is available on her blog here.

Poets admire Venn diagrams of different Lenin qualities.