A Song (by Joesph Brodsky)

Posted by

 

I wish you were here, dear, I wish you were here.
I wish you sat on the sofa
and I sat near.
the handkerchief could be yours,
the tear could be mine, chin-bound.
Though it could be, of course,
the other way around.

I wish you were here, dear,
I wish you were here.
I wish we were in my car,
and you’d shift the gear.
we’d find ourselves elsewhere,
on an unknown shore.
Or else we’d repair
To where we’ve been before.

I wish you were here, dear,
I wish you were here.
I wish I knew no astronomy 
when stars appear,
when the moon skims the water
that sighs and shifts in its slumber.
I wish it were still a quarter
to dial your number.

I wish you were here, dear,
in this hemisphere,
as I sit on the porch
sipping a beer.
It’s evening, the sun is setting;
boys shout and gulls are crying.
What’s the point of forgetting
If it’s followed by dying?

One comment

  1. I savored this poem, Nish – it was new for me. Then I found it on youtube and listened to the author reciting it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_YgV7ucKig

    My favorite lines: “we’d find ourselves elsewhere, on an unknown shore.
    Or else we’d repair to where we’ve been before.”

    I heard you are in Istanbul. Will you stay there long? I wish we could have met…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *