Why is she sleeping on some steps

in the vicinity of the station?

In this place wouldn’t I too

bury my head in my knees?

Mummy didn’t let her child have a rat,

but he loves them,

he’s sorry for them,

what sort of people are these, Lord?

Head in the snow.

In the middle of Moscow

in a single night

a living man

turned to wax.

Translated by Daniel Weissbort