Adoration

Who does not feel desire unending

To solace through his daily strife,

With some mysterious Mental Blending,

The hungry loneliness of life?

Until, by sudden passion shaken,

As terriers shake a rat at play,

He finds, all blindly, he has taken

The old, Hereditary way.

Yet, in the moment of communion,

The very heart of passion’s fire,

His spirit spurns the mortal union,

“Not this, not this, the Soul’s desire!”

* * * *

Oh You, by whom my life is riven,

And reft away from my control,

Take back the hours of passion given!

Love me one moment from your soul.

Although I once, in ardent fashion,

Implored you long to give me this;

(In hopes to stem, or stifle, passion)

Your hair to touch, your lips to kiss

Now that your gracious self has granted

The loveliness you hold as naught,

I find, alas! not that I wanted–

Possession has not stifled Thought.

Desire its aim has only shifted,–

Built hopes upon another plan,

And I in love for you have drifted

Beyond all passion known to man.

Beyond all dreams of soft caresses

The solacing of any kiss,–

Beyond the fragrance of your tresses

(Once I had sold my soul for this!)

But now I crave no mortal union

(Thanks for that sweetness in the past);

I need some subtle, strange communion,

Some sense that _I_ join _you_, at last.

Long past the pulse and pain of passion,

Long left the limits of all love,–

I crave some nearer, fuller fashion,

Some unknown way, beyond, above,–

Some infinitely inner fusion,

As Wave with Water; Flame with Fire,–

Let me dream once the dear delusion

That I am You, Oh, Heart’s Desire!

Your kindness lent to my caresses

That beauty you so lightly prize,–

The midnight of your sable tresses,

The twilight of your shadowed eyes.

Ah, for that gift all thanks are given!

Yet, Oh, adored, beyond control,

Count all the passionate past forgiven

And love me once, once, from your soul.

Poetry Monster – Home

A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Ольга Берггольц – Слышала, приедешь к нам не скоро ты by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Синеглазый мальчик, синеглазый by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Сибиринка by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Сестре by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Родине by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Разговор с соседкой by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Простите бедность этих строк by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Придешь, как приходят слепые by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Потеряла я вечером слово by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Порука by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Полуночная by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Покуда небо сумрачное меркнет by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Подбирают фомки и отмычки by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Письмо из Ленинграда by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Песня о жене патриота by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Песня о ленинградской матери by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Песня дочери by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Первое письмо на Каму by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Пахнет соснами, гарью, тленьем by Ольга Берггольц
• Ольга Берггольц – Память (Всей земною горечью и болью) by Ольга Берггольц

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

Parallel Translations of Poetry

Poems by Author and Category

The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works