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

Born near the end of the 19th century, Anna Akhmatova became one of the most acclaimed Russian and Soviet modernist poets.  Her poetry cycle about the terror of Stalin’s reign is considered a masterpiece. 

Though her work was censored by Stalinist authorities, she refused to emigrate, and chose to stay and write about what she was witnessing.

Akhmatova’s work is also known for its strong female voice.  Much of the written records of her life were destroyed during the war and revolution.

Photo: Picture of Anna Akhmatova