Over the dirt-infested city spreads
a thin veneer of ice. Ljubljana's
a marzipan-covered cake. If you wander
through a few alleyways even as dark
is emptying the town you'll see how people
are softly colliding. Snow falls on them
as on the figurines in a crystal ball
when you shake it the figurines begin
colliding softly in a swirl of snowflakes.
If it is quiet you can hear carols,
a tinkle of chimes. I am tired today.
Skating on thin ice I try to avoid
those slight collisions. I murmur holy night
to myself because it's already dark.
In my pocket I keep marzipan and each
time someone bumps me bite a little off
so that the snow is warm when I catch it
in my fingers. So that I can hold out.

Translated by Ana Pepelnik and Matthew Zapruder