Laika slipped the surly bonds
To lick the face of God.
Laika got a one-way trip:
Reentry was a hassle.
Laika was a good dog;
First Earthling in space.
The Russians said
She didn’t suffer, but
You can’t trust a Commie.
Laika couldn’t tell time, but
She knew
When the simulation was over, and
She stared
At the hatch
–her tail would have wagged had it not been strapped down–
And waited for the Guy to
Fetch her.
Laika was a good dog;
Gagarin traced her trusting footsteps.
это хорошая поэма товарищ
Your poem is not what’s terrible here.
I can still find justification for vivisection, but it’s more of why “the past was terrible” (as I believe you’ve written).