DOB

                             Lucumoneu

Dob je mala fosilna životinja što živi u mraku
ćupa, obješena za konopac kao vedro vode,
po koži, obliku, slična istodobno krokodilu,
gušteru i kornjači. Visi nepomično. Hrana i
svjetlo joj škode, okusi nešto smiješno u
studenom i prosincu, za cijelu godinu.
Pokazuje se svijetu kad je ljudi sami otkriju u
ćupu, čistom slučajnošću podignu poklopac i
zagledaju u dno. Za sebe ponajviše zna ona
sama. Nijednom stvoru, a kamoli čovjeku ne
pada napamet narušiti sklad u tijesnu dnu,
otjerati Dob iz njezina ćupa
Sa starenjem joj godi da je znatiželjnici sve
manje otkrivaju, i netom oćuti svjetlost na
hrapavoj koži, Dob se nakostriješi u
suhom bunaru: "Ljudi, nemojte me više
dizati na konopac! Mene dolje nema!
Preostaje još nekoliko nedirnutih riječi!"
No, oni, radoznalci, ipak je dižu jer Dob
dolazi s godinama. Poigravajući se riječima,
golica ih pomisao da će ugledati nešto
nestvarno, hrapavo, ubogo i čemerno, pa
makar nanijeli bol životinji. A Dob na svjetlu,
ista je Dob u tami. Ista. Samo su riječi ostale
na dnu, svete.

© Dražen Katunarić
Avdio produkcija: Croatian P.E.N. Centre

THE AGE

                                            for Lucumone

The Age is a small fossil animal that lives in the darkness of the jar, hung on a rope like a pail of water, by its skin, shape, at the same time similar to a crocodile, a lizard and a turtle. It hangs motionless. Food and light are harmful to it, it tastes somewhat funny in November and December, for the whole year. It shows itself to the world when people find it in the jug themselves, raise the lid by pure coincidence and look into the bottom. Only the Age itself mostly knows about itself.
As it ages it is convenient to it to be more and more seldom uncovered by curious people and as soon it feels light on its rough skin the Age bristles in the dry well: - People, do not lift me on the rope! I am not down there! There are only a few untouched words!
But they, being courious, lift her nevertheless because the Age comes with years. Playing  with words, they are tickled by the idea that they will see something unreal, rough, poor and sorrowful, even if they cause pain to the animal. And the Age in the light is the same as the Age in the dark. The same. Only the words have remained on the bottom, the holy ones.

Translated by Miljenko Kovačićek