As if with a Straw... by Anna Akhmatova
Oh, I've been at peace for weeks and weeks.
As if with a straw…
by Anna Akhmatova 1
As if with a straw you drink my soul. I know, it's a heady and bitter taste. But I won't infringe on the torture with pleas, Oh, I've been at peace for weeks and weeks. Let me know when you're done. It's not sad That my soul is no longer of this world. I'll just walk down that nearby road To see how the children play. The gooseberry bushes are blooming, And they're hauling bricks beyond the fence. Who are you: my brother or a lover, I don't remember, and I don't need to remember. How bright it is here and how unsheltered, My body, exhausted, rests... And passers-by are thinking vaguely: Wasn't she widowed just yesterday?
Lovely!