Friday, May 26, 2006

Poem: Anna Akhmatova


[image source]

I Taught Myself to Live Simply

I taught myself to live simply and wisely,
to look at the sky and pray to God,
and to wander long before evening
to tire my superfluous worries.
When the burdocks rustle in the ravine
and the yellow-red rowanberry cluster droops
I compose happy verses
about life's decay, decay and beauty.
I come back. The fluffy cat
licks my palm, purrs so sweetly
and the fire flares bright
on the saw-mill turret by the lake.
Only the cry of a stork landing on the roof
occasionally breaks the silence.
If you knock on my door
I may not even hear.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Somehow, knowing that a poet mined serenity and compassion from a life full of unimaginable suffering embues the poem with unique authority. I can read the poem knowing that she earned her insights and knows what she's talking about.

Kai in NYC