Snow In Your Shoes

Sneg u cipelama

Ne gradi se kuća na zbirkama escajga

mada koja kašika više

ponekad dobro dođe.

Ne gradi se kuća na novim zavesama

mada drugačije poglede

s vremena na vreme

treba zakloniti novim platnom.

Da bi dom bio dom, između ostalog

treba ti i mnogo toga

čega bi se unapred

odrekao, vrlo rado.

Slušaj šta kažu Eskimi:

da bi sagradio dobar iglo

godinama moraš da nosiš

sneg u cipelama.

I špenadlu, zaboravljenu

u okovratniku kaputa,

blizu žile kucavice.

Snow In Your Shoes

One does not build a house collecting cutlery

even though a few extra spoons

come in handy sometimes.

One does not build a house from new curtains

even though different views

from time to time

should be shielded by new cloth.

For a home to be a home, among other things

you need a lot of things

you would gladly renounce

in advance.

Listen to what Eskimos say:

to build a good igloo,

for years you have to carry

snow in your shoes.

And a safety pin, forgotten

in your coat collar,

near the jugular.

(Translated by Novica Petrović)

NOTE: This poem first appeared in the anthology New European Poets (Graywolf P).