You Love And Hate Me (Italian Sonnet) Poem by Gert Strydom

(in answer to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin)

To me our love has an eternal sphere,
to you love may be a thing that is fleeting.
You might not remember out first meeting,
I remember it as if you are here.

You may love and hate me, I hold you dear,
do remember each sad and joyful greeting,
life you are with your presence completing,
your face and body in my mind stays clear

and you might make my life devoid of you,
to avoid conflict with you, devoid of church,
and state that you are trying to survive,
but still my life and love to you is true,
while for the old you, I do daily search
and I try to keep our love still alive.

[Reference: 'The wondrous moment of our meeting...' by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

Poet's note: I am quoting this lovely poem by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

'The wondrous moment of our meeting...' by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin

"The wondrous moment of our meeting...
Still I remember you appear
Before me like a vision fleeting,
A beauty's angel pure and clear."

"In hopeless ennui surrounding
The worldly bustle, to my ear
For long your tender voice kept sounding,
For long in dreams came features dear."

"Time passed. Unruly storms confounded
Old dreams, and I from year to year
Forgot how tender you had sounded,
Your heavenly features once so dear."

"My backwoods days dragged slow and quiet --
Dull fence around, dark vault above --
Devoid of God and uninspired,
Devoid of tears, of fire, of love."

"Sleep from my soul began retreating,
And here you once again appear
Before me like a vision fleeting,
A beauty's angel pure and clear."

"In ecstasy my heart is beating,
Old joys for it anew revive;
Inspired and God-filled, it is greeting
The fire, and tears, and love alive."

Translated by Genia Gurarie December,1995.]