By Simone Lappert
Translated by Fabienne Rink

the street in the dark, driving fifty mph,
white stripes on concrete: a cutting pattern
laid across the landscape. the car hood slices
the street bit by bit, makes a scissorcut of time
and your fear of staying. headlights throwing trees
from the darkness to the window to pose
on the side of the street: hostesses of the night drivers,
gathering their underwood, repositioning their crowns in the wind,
standing around pretty and helping nothing.

~~~

fluchtweg

die strasse im dunkeln bei neunzig kmh,
weisse striche auf beton: ein schnittmuster,
quer durch die landschaft gelegt. die kühlerhaube schneidet
die strasse stück für stück, macht einen scherenschnitt aus zeit
und deiner angst zu bleiben. scheinwerfer kegeln bäume
aus der dunkelheit ans fenster, zum posieren
an den strassenrand: hostessen der nachtfahrer,
ihr unterholz raffend, rücken die kronen zurecht im wind,
stehen schön in der gegend und helfen nichts.


(This poem appears in German in längst fällige verwilderung [long overdue feralization] and is reprinted with permission from Diogenes.)

~~~~~

Swiss author Simone Lappert made her debut with two novels before publishing her first poetry collection längst fällige verwilderung (long overdue feralization, 2022) with Diogenes. Lappert is the president of the international lyric festival in Basel and part of other committees and collectives. She was also Writer in Residence at the German House at New York University, and lives and works as a writer in Zurich.

Fabienne Rink is a second year MFA Literary Translation candidate at the University of Iowa and a journalist from Germany. She received her BA in Journalism and is also pursuing an MA in Literary & Cultural Studies from TU Dortmund University. Fabienne translates poetry and prose from German and French.