I’m reading Vera Pavlova’s amazing new book of poems, If There is Something to Desire: 100 Poems. Simple, elegant, and direct, her verse storms the heart in highly disciplined miniatures that vibrate with emotion. They are transporting – in that way you once hoped poetry could be: mapping an inner landscape like a well-thumbed Michelin Guide.
It’s difficult to believe but Pavlova is the first contemporary Russian poet since Joseph Brodsky to have a solo collection of verse translated and published in English. Thanks to my good friend Yelena Demikovsky of Red Palette Pictures for introducing me to this extraordinary artist. Yelena made a short documentary film about Pavlova that is currently making the rounds of a few festivals. You can view the trailer for it on the Red Palette site.
Here are three brief, sterling examples. Read them and weep.
Then click the link above to buy the rest.
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#46
When the very last grief
deadens all our pain,
I will follow you there
on the very next train,
not because I lack strength
to ponder the end result,
but maybe you forgot to bring
pills, a necktie, razor blades……
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#17
Why is the word yes so brief?
It should be
the longest,
the hardest,
so that you cold not decide in an instant to say it,
so that upon reflection you could stop
in the middle of saying it.
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#11
Let us touch each other
while we still have hands,
palms, forearms, elbows . . .
Let us love each other for misery,
torture each other, torment,
disfigure, maim,
to remember better,
to part with less pain.
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