Bulgaria's Konstantin Pavlov [born 1933] died today. He was among the few Bulgarian intellectuals who dared to assert their professional independence during the 1945-89 communist regime.
ELEGIAC OPTIMISM [1960]
I won't be nasty anymore,
nor provocative.
I will choose my means and enemies with care.
Bye-bye Sofia, I am going back to nature!
In Kurilo, I have a nice little house—
I will mend the old fence,
and live there quietly, invisible.
In the winter, I will meditate.
In the summer, I will raise . . .
What will I raise?
Only snakes dart in the weeds.
I will raise snakes
instead of carrier pigeons.
You can achieve anything with goodness.
They say that snakes become very attached
to their masters.
I will send them
as a small favor
to my enemies.
