Poème Surprise (Startling Song)

Whenever somber,
completely alone
and deprived of hope…
Whenever I remained silent --
seeming indifferent
and remote…
Whenever red lights at crossings
looked like signals of
sudden doom…

Or when I froze in my tracks
like planted posts
of traffic-lights…
When the keen eye of my mind,
all at once turned
into dark glass,
I completely went to pieces
in this nightmare
of a town…

Whenever I stayed away from home,
convinced it was
a dark hell…
Whenever I shivered and quaked
at the fiery onset
of autumn…

You were my sole salvation,
a bright beacon
In pitch darkness…
You were the muse and the spark
that ignited to a start
this sudden song…


VARAND
Translated By: Tatul Sonentz