Diplomacy and Gender

poetry word typography - text in letterpress wood type on a digital tablet with a cup of coffee

In Russia: day 2, 3, 4?

Diplomats from the West

keep coming with a message.

Again it's a long table; but

more in keeping, a table less . . .

less in the limelight.

And the spotlight is on, not

the little man of the long

white table, but one of

his Ministers. While across

the table another exchange.

Later, come the insults

not usually levelled at a male

counterpart. He likened their talks

to someone deaf talking to

someone who is mute. Russian

media (going for blonde cliché)

went further and called

the Minister from Westminster

clueless. To which she replied

personal insults are hurled

by those with no good political

argument to make. Only in the

job for the past five months; he

in his for the past eighteen years.

She made it look the other way

round. And they will keep coming

from the West with a message

for the Ukraine.