I taught myself to live simply.

 

 

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 rustles in ravine,

And the purple rasberry cluster drops,

I compose happy verses,

About life's decay and beauty,

When I come back, the brown dog

greet me at the door wagging his tail,

and the fire flares bright,

at the sound of the windy night,

occasionally a sound of raindrops breaks the silence,

If you knock on my door,

I might not even hear.

 

(Anna Akhmatova 1889-1966)