Laika in her flight harness
"Little Laika" died in heaven
on November 3rd in '57—
which is to say, Sputnik II
in low Earth orbit.
Aged between two and three,
she weighed about 5 kg.
A mongrel in a Moscow street,
her name was Кудрявка: "Curly."
She died of hyperthermia,
no kind demise—poor girly,
all by herself in outer space
(of course, most dogs die alone
—as do we all, if truth were known),
God in mercy lend her grace.
November 3, 2O24