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Kerry stars in Russian adaptation of Robert Burns poem

FILE - In this April 13, 2016 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry presents the 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, at the State Department in Washington. Kerry is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Northeastern University. Kerry will speak to an expected audience of 25,000 students, family members and school officials at the graduation ceremony on Friday, May 6, 2016. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) FILE - In this April 13, 2016 file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry presents the 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, at the State Department in Washington. Kerry is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Northeastern University. Kerry will speak to an expected audience of 25,000 students, family members and school officials at the graduation ceremony on Friday, May 6, 2016. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

By Associated Press May 6, 2016 1 min read

MOSCOW (AP) – The Russian foreign minister’s spokeswoman has lightheartedly riffed on a poem by Robert Burns to comment on the frequent phone calls between her boss and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Maria Zakharova told journalists that since it was Friday she would make a “lyrical diversion.” She then read an adaption of “My Heart’s in the Highlands” by the Scottish poet:

“His heart is in Moscow. His heart is not there.

His heart is in Moscow, chasing a bear.

Chasing not grizzly, but Kremlinese.

His heart is in Moscow wherever John is.”

Then taking a more serious tone, the spokeswoman said the more than 25 telephone calls this year between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov show there are global problems that can be solved only with Russian participation.