'How can you bear to view the Neva,'

by

How Can You Bear to View the Neva (1914) transforms St. Petersburg's river into a mirror of heartbreak, where familiar landmarks become unbearable reminders of a lost love. "Sharp, the black angels' wings, / Soon, the judgement day."
Author Anna Akhmatova

How can you bear to view the Neva,
How can you bear to cross its bridges? ...
No surprise I'm marked for sadness,
Since that vision of you appeared.
Sharp, the black angels' wings,
Soon, the judgement day;
And raspberry-coloured bonfires blossom
Like roses, in the snow.