If modern French poetry began with Rimbaud's observation that je est un autre,' Francis Combes believes that poets should now say, je suis tous les autres'. Drawing on the tradition of Hugo and Aragon, the idea of une posie d'utilit publique runs through Francis Combes stunning new collection, from pomes sans domicile fixe to pomes moraux et politiques. It is a book about poverty, homelessness, inequality, racism, and the endless wars of the twenty-first century. It's a book of gentle humor and savage irony. It is that rare thing, a collection of poetry that is both useful and necessary.
