The Poet Laureate of Jones Street

Each night
while Annie waits to be saved

and Sandy wags his tail
and barks “arf, arf”

old Warbucks pets and counts
his greenbacks, slapping them

down again & again
on the dining room table

in front of the news
in front of the dead and dying.

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……………………………….

Chaque soir
pendant qu’Annie attend d’être sauvée

et Sandy remue sa queue
et aboie « arf, arf »

vieux Warbucks caresse et compte
ses billets verts, en posant chacun d’eux

sans s’arrêter
sur la table de la salle à manger

devant les actualités
devant les morts et les mourants.
……………………………………………

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2004. Traduction: Françoise Parouty
Published: New York Quarterly, No 63, 2007
Publié: Liqueur 44, 2006
Inspiré par la vieille bande dessinée, “Little Orphan Annie”.