"while we still live..." Russian poem for hard times

Описание: 🖋️ Eduard Asadov was a Soviet poet who lost his eyesight during World War II, but continued to write deeply emotional and philosophical poetry. This poem is one of his most moving works — a plea to appreciate each other while we're still here.

📜 Poem by Eduard Asadov (1923–2004)
🎙️ Read in English by Anatoly Suprunyuk
❤️ A powerful Russian poem by Eduard Asadov — "While We Still Live" — read aloud in English.


📚 Russian original title: "Пока мы живы"
🕊️ Theme: memory, compassion, life, love

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Lyrics:

While we still live, we still can turn around,
And see the path from which our steps have strayed,
Awake from fears that held us darkly bound,
Step back from cliffs where we were nearly swayed.

While we still live… but have we truly tried
To hold the ones we loved before they left?
We let them go — no "sorry" said, but pride
Laid down — and now we're silenced and bereft.

When they are gone — that silence deep and bare,
No cry can reach the place where they have gone —
It takes mere moments, stunned by vacant air,
To whisper, “God… what damage have I done?”

And photos flicker — black-and-white and still,
Fatigue behind the eyes we knew so well.
They’ve long forgiven — maybe always will —
For all we failed to give and failed to tell.

For all the calls we didn’t dare to make,
The hugs postponed, the warmth we never gave,
No longer faces — only shadows ache,
And wrong words echo softly from the grave.

A gnawing pain — the final shade of guilt —
It chills the skin and tears the soul apart.
For all we left undone, the love we spilt —
They have forgiven. We cannot our heart.



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