Brodsky, Joseph (Josip) 1975
Where a tin of halvah, coffee-flavored,
is the cause of a human assault-wave
by a crowd heavy-laden with parcels:
each one his own king, his own camel.
– Joseph Brodsky, “December 24, 1971”
The Wise Men will unlearn your name.
Above your head no star will flame.
One weary sound will be the same–
the hoarse roar of the gale.
The shadows fall from your tired eyes
as your lone bedside candle dies,
for here the calendar breeds nights
till stores of candles fail.
– Joseph Brodsky, “1 January 1965”
Read this interview with Joseph Brodsky from the Paris Review:
Paris Review – The Art of Poetry No. 28, Joseph Brodsky
The Paris Review is a literary magazine featuring original writing, art, and in-depth interviews with famous writers.