to Kati

Sometimes love ain’t weak and bears her name

like her grandmother’s who passed away in the

month of January when her niece is born while

the river is frozen and you can't tell whether

you walk with the current or against as it is

a milky way retracing your steps with dark

punctuation marks fishing for silver scales.

Her body is a coastline, hand held and passed

through, even a saint would be wounded

as we cross a treeless field kept still, February

is cold but let the river loose like her long hair

and we walk in a circle without a goal, she thinks

she got lost but it’s just a new way, one can’t

cross the river without bridge’s dark embrace.

You have to go to wild lengths, come sit near

her, the room redolent with scent, her slender

fingers awaken the strings to sing waltzes so

simple one two three so easy to say, so difficult

to play, you lead her like wind dances with 

the snow through the fields, this stone is just sand

with ornaments like snakes she wears.

Why do you need her, she will bless your

nights and curse your days, your muse to

plant basilicum in your garden, in cold hour

her limbs are on fire, but don’t follow her when

she goes up the river, you have to go to the devil

first, anyway, down to the cave, to the spring,

sell your silver for a taste of sweet waters.

*Ahja jõgi - a river in southeast Estonia over 100 km long, with its spring located in Taevaskoja (literally: Heaven Valley) and flowing between sand cliffs within a pristine forest reserve. The toponym of the river is of German origin "aya" which means simply "water" while "jõgi" stands for "river".