Talking Vrouz

Valerie Rouzeau was born in 1967 in Burgundy, France and now lives in a small town near Paris, Saint-Ouen. She has published a dozen collections of poems. She has also published volumes translated from Sylvia Plath, William Carlos Williams, Ted Hughes and the photographer Duane Michals. She is the editor of a little review of poetry for children (from 5 to 117 years old) called 'dans la lune' and lives mainly by her pen through public readings, poetry workshops in schools, radio broadcasts and translation.

• Translator's Preface /6, PART 1: Poems from 'When I am Too' / 10 Eden, Two, Three and churned-up me/12, The wardrobe's bare/14, Trr/16, Not keeping my nose clean/21, Our friendship in driving rain/24, Tenuous/26, The friend who can't hear Purcell any more /28, Rehearsal/30, 25 December /32, 01 43 15 50 67 /34, Carpe Diem /36, 18 Lines to What /38, Vain Poem /40, The Poem for Jacques /42, Objection: Poeme d'Amour for 2 Voices /45, Thirty-two Teeth /48, Cross my heart /50, Gue Digue Don /54, And I was wondering what bird /58, I must have dreamed it /60, PART II Poems from 'Vrouz' /61, Good for this or nothing /63, And if by chance my hand /63, Airport my green boots /65, I dreamed I lied about my bust-size /67, What time is it I'm happy there's a tree /67, So many swallowed days and so much time /69, Us eaters of potaters /69, To meet your soulmate without paying afterwards /71, Today sixteenth of June two thousand and eleven /71, My artificial memory? I couldn't give a toss /73, The hands of young mothers smell of cod liver oil /73, I measured my length the other day in snow /75, Negative I don't know how to take a photo no /75, She's a stranger here she puts her earring in /77, Swallow anything like nails or wood-screws ink /77, I get the picture now I'm at the age /79, At a certain moment you trip over it /79, MOzart I had to write /81, Nothing's rightful owner /83, The kid limps after his dad who's walking fast /83, Horsewoman found hanged with leading rein /85, Phone ringing in a waste-bin /85, Let's tmae our loneliness without a wire /87, I'll come and visit you my unkown friends /87, When I levae my room a hefty curse rings out /89, I'd like to drive a Coral train right to the sea /89, Down the whole track-length of the railway line /91, Birthday this fine day and look /91, Driving his express logistic truck /93, I must lose fourteen punds at least /93, Sometimes ex-planed un-trained gone bussed we don't arrive /95, To stay in while looking out /95, Another train packed out with soldiers' arses /97, There's a big black empty vase of rainwater which waits /97, A tree a growing tree and not a stone /99, My plane has been diluted /99, Not far from really understanding /101, Another truck with fill up on your phone /101, When my father shuffled off this mortal coil /103, I'm asked to put down my expenses in a note /103, They bring their teacher nuts /105, At the big Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville the BHV /105, His little head reflected in the great big spoon /107, Something joyful in this boy is pedalling /107, So I's the host of who know who or what /109, The boy give back the mango at the till to dear /109, I was running in no hurry as I waited hoping for the tram /111, A great fat budgie-squawk as if on spitting up /111, When I'd fill up the fridge with cans of drink /113, On public transport that transport us most /113, Won't write a word today /115, The twentieth of March the equinox and nothing gives /115, No I'm not back with all of you I've come that's all /117, Asters or asterisks as what shall I recycle /117, Each day these perfect strangers cross my path /119, Before you leave the train make sure /119