LSD

I exited the flat, in the elevator I saw a girl in a red coat shivering in the corner, she had great circles under her eyes and sweated profusely, she begged me to help find her tall red platform shoes she lost somewhere, I was in a hurry, out front a red cab with red seats waited for me, I got in and asked if smoking was allowed, the driver nodded, he was freshly shaved, wore a red sweater and red pants, I thought I knew him from someplace, he pulled his tail in through the open door and curled it under the seat, then slowly we rolled, so that’s what the devil looks like, I thought, looks like a regular guy, he gripped the wheel with his claws while he drove down the red velvet path the streets were laid with, I’m a cop, he said, I’ve been following you for a long time and I know who you are, I knew him too, he was the thirteenth man, but I didn’t say a word, he changed the subject and spoke with delight about the church swallowed by flames, I smoked and gazed at the holes in my palms, outside buildings streamed by, it seemed we’d passed the same street several times already, where are you taking me, I asked, the thirteenth man fell silent, in the rearview mirror I saw a grin in the corner of his lips, the cab went faster and faster, stop, I yelled, I have to get out right away, he didn’t listen, I have to help the girl from the elevator, wake up the writer asleep on the train tracks, prevent the scorned lover’s suicide, I yelled without  cease, I have to save another ten souls or so and I’ll be right back, the crowd’s waiting for me in the square, they’re already lighting the hay and oak branches, I’ll be late, I will have nowhere to lay my head…

[Translated from Serbian to English by Ana Božićević]

 LSD

Izašao sam iz stana, u liftu video devojku u crvenom kaputu kako se trese u uglu, imala je velike podočnjake i primetno se znojila, molila me je da joj pomognem da pronađe svoje crvene cipele s visokim platformama koje je negde izgubila, žurio sam, ispred zgrade me je čekao crveni taksi sa crvenim sedištima, ušao sam u auto i pitao da li je dozvoljeno pušenje, vozač je klimnuo glavom, bio je obrijan, nosio je crveni džemper i crvene pantalone, učinilo mi se da ga odnekud poznajem, kroz otvorena vrata uvukao je rep u automobil i savio ga ispod sedišta, onda smo lagano krenuli, tako dakle izgleda đavo, pomislio sam, izgleda kao običan čovek, kandžama je stezao volan dok je vozio po crvenoj plišanoj stazi kojom su bile obložene ulice, ja sam policajac, rekao je, pratim te odavno i znam ko si ti, znao sam i ja ko je on, trinaesti čovek, ali ništa nisam rekao, promenio je temu i s radošću počeo da govori o crkvi koju je progutala vatra, pušio sam i gledao u rupe na svojim dlanovima, napolju su promicale zgrade, učinilo mi se da već nekoliko puta prolazimo istom ulicom, gde me to voziš, upitao sam, trinaesti čovek je zaćutao, u retrovizoru sam video kako se smeška krajičkom usana, taksi je sve više ubrzavao, zaustavi, vikao sam, moram odmah da izađem, moram da pomognem devojci iz lifta, da probudim pisca zaspalog na šinama, da sprečim samoubistvo ostavljenog ljubavnika, vikao sam bez prestanka, moram da spasim još desetak duša i brzo se vratim, gomila me čeka na trgu, već pale seno i hrastove grane, zakasniću, neću imati gde da položim glavu...

[Stripping, 2004]