::Poetry --- YeaYea::

The poem I chose was: "I Taught Myself to Live Simply" by Anna Akhmatova

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.

Anna Akhmatova, I believe, composed a great poem portraying life with simplicity and reflection. I believe that Anna found a way to illustrate to the readers of her poem how much joy can come from the simple things in life. She also illustrates so wonderfully that reflection about life and the journey you have taken can lead to contentment with what you have.

I find this poem compelling because I really think that it can apply to anyone. I believe that in life, one has to find within themselves to just life live with what you've got and not try to over complicate things. It's easier said then done though. Life has so many stresses, so much that we put pressure on ourselves and we move further and further away from actually living life and not just going though the motions of life. I believe that one must learn to find happiness in the small things and reflect on what you have and what you can actually gain out of living in the simplest ways.