Child In Red

Sometimes she walks through the village in her
little red dressall absorbed in restraining herself,
and yet, despite herself, she seems to moveaccording to the rhythm of her life to come.

She runs a bit, hesitates, stops,
half-turns around…and, all while dreaming, shakes her headfor or against.

Then she dances a few stepsthat she invents and forgets,
no doubt finding out that lifemoves on too fast.

It's not so much that she steps outof the small body enclosing her,
but that all she carries in herselffrolics and ferments.

It's this dress that she'll rememberlater in a sweet surrender;
when her whole life is full of risks,
the little red dress will always seem right.

Translated by A.

Poulin