Colors

by Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1933 - )

"When your face came rising

above my crumpled life,

the only thing I understood at first

was how meager were all my possessions.

But your face cast a peculiar glow

on forests, seas, and rivers,

initiating into the colors of the world

uninitiated me.

I’m so afraid, I’m so afraid,

the unexpected dawn might end,

ending the discoveries, tears, and raptures,

but I refuse to fight this fear.

This fear--I understand--is love itself.

I cherish this fear,not knowing how to cherish,

I, careless guardian of my love.

This fear has ringed me tightly.

These moments are so brief, I know,

and, for me, the colors will disappear

when once your face has set..."

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Internationally one the best-known poets of the post-Stalin period.Throughout the Khrushchev and the Brezhnev periods, Yevtushenko travelled widely abroad, giving readings as a symbol of a new freedom in the Soviet Union. Especially in the United States the 6-foot-3-inch Siberian poet received a great deal of attention. In spite of his outspokenness and conflicts with the authorities, he was also loyal to communism.

poem Yevgeny Yevtushenko Colors