Poetry in Motion

New York

If there is something to desire

Vera Pavlova
A white horizontal poster with a colorful mosaic at the top depicts a lush nature scene of insects, fruit on vines, and a small animal. Below the mosaic is a poem titled If there is something to desire, by Vera Pavlova.

If there is something to desire

If there is something to desire,
there will be something to regret.
If there is something to regret,
there will be something to recall.
If there is something to recall,
there was nothing to regret.
If there was nothing to regret,
there was nothing to desire.



"If there is something to desire," by Vera Pavlova, translated by Steven Seymour. Copyright © 2007 by Vera Pavlova and Steven Seymour. Reprinted with the permission of the author and the translator.