Once I was protected
in my childhood serenity.
Padded with endearments
like zlatinku-my jewel, so many pet names,
some I gave to my teddy bear
and my doll who was then still
able to keep her eyes open.
When the strangers came to hang
on me a number written on cardboard,
they wouldn't give me a little cardboard
for my teddy bear and my doll,
I didn't want to leave them,
so I asked very nicely, but
the strangers were furious
and ripped my doll from me
because I was holding it tight -
so I was left with my doll's torn-off arm.
At least my teddy bear stayed whole,
They were really in a hurry
because they had a lot of work
marking all the people with a number on cardboard.
On my sister, too, they hung a cardboard
with a number almost like mine, but
I can't tell you what number it was
because I wasn't at school yet and couldn't read
We stood outside for a long time
and wasn't allowed to talk or ask questions.
I was very cold and I only wanted to say that
my teddy bear was lucky
that they didn't want to give him a number.