The Stand
Susanne Darabas
Celebrity,
where have you been all those bygone days hidin’
behind the counter
to make all the lose ends meet
I’d reckoned I’d see ya
go highlight up in flames
when you heard of torching
no regret having room left in the hate
of now
But hey, Celebrity,
there you are sitting in
quiet like a fruit laying out before the painter
eyes out ahead to the truth of casual oppressing
passed the all around disruptive teaching
in your school of perception
head full of details
guts full of guts
High noon standing
offering sacrifce
below the scream of the
highly repetitive magpie
waiting marching playing
pranks
hoping no longer not really your life is endangered
not here anyhow not now
at least not before the final battle
Medea against Gaia
both having nothing to lose
Escalate your courage,
Celebrity, unbag the glue
wind is rising
Susanne Darabas was born in Brasov, Romania, in 1980. She writes poetry, prose and essays and is working as a freelance editor, translator, and project manager. Publications of poetry, prose and essays online, in magazines and anthologies (currently: Jahrbuch der Lyrik 2024/25 (Schöffling & Co.), Sammelband zum 250. Jubiläum Caspar David Friedrichs (2024, Reinecke & Voß)). Translation of Robert Creeley's long poem „Histoire de Florida“ (2020, Materials). Susanne lives in Munich. www.darabas.de