The Yale Anthology of Twentieth-Century French Poetry

NICOLE BROSSARD

I Wash

I wash
what I have picked up
in the light and this desert
of tears I eat
my burning eyes
—mary ann caws

I Wanted to Tell You

I wanted to tell you about it
in words not weeping

while under

I love you

a horizon rose

since I’ve known you

I’ve had a fresh start I’ve had
the look of someone unfamiliar

the name of the poem
—mary ann caws

Nicole Brossard 1943–

montreal, canada

A

poet, essayist, and novelist, Brossard is at the center of feminist and

postmodernist writing in Canada. She is an active organizer of literary

conferences and events, and her works exemplify radical experiments

in both form and style. Brossard founded and edited the journal Barre du jour in