K O N S T A N T I N P A V L O V
P A S T O R A L
I won't be nasty anymore,
nor provocative.
I will choose my means and enemies with care.
Bye-bye Sofia.
I am going back to nature!
In Kurilo, I have a nice little house —
I will mend the old fence,
and live there quietly, invisible.
In the winter, I'll meditate.
In the summer, I'll raise . . .
What will I raise?
Only snakes dart in the weeds.
Well, I'll raise snakes
instead of carrier pigeons.
You can achieve anything with goodness.
They say that snakes become very attached
to their masters.
I'll send them
as a small favor
to my enemies.
_____________________
Konstantin Pavolov
Capriccio For Goya
Selected poems 1955-1995
Ivy Press 2003
