Julie Maclean

 

JE SUIS

 

happy you invaded
made us speak Francais

even though most
have forgotten how to
express a joie de vivre
sans beer

how to deliver
le mot juste

Instead, we have
words like cow,
pig and piss off

Personellement,
I was sorry to see you go

Had a penchant for the beret
Jaunty, striped jersey,
vin cassis, Galoise Blonde

Had a friend, a Francophile
who beat me up in a tent
near Bordeaux

He thought he was French
but didn’t know how to
make fuck with ze girls

Nutter, Twat
I don’t know
the French for that

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JULIE MACLEAN is originally from Bristol, UK, but is now based on the Surf Coast, Australia. In 2012, she was shortlisted for The Crashaw Prize (Salt, UK). Her debut collection, When I saw Jimi, will be published in June 2013 by Indigo Dreams Publishing, UK. Her poetry and short fiction has been featured in UK, US and Australian journals including The Best Australian Poetry (UQP).

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Read more by Julie Maclean:

 
Poem in foam:e
Poem in Shadowtrain
Two poems in Bluepepper
Author Website