Chinese Journey 2

By Olga Sedakova
Translated by Jena Woodhouse

The pond says:
if only I had hands and a voice,
how I would love, how cherish you!
People, you know, are greedy and always ailing
and tearing others’ clothes
to make bandages for themselves.
Me, I need nothing:
for tenderness – this is recuperation.
I would place my hands on your knees,
like a tiny household pet,
and, becoming a voice, I would descend from above,
  like the sky.

Click here to hear Olga Sedakova read this poem read on Lyrikline.org.