UN COUP DE DÉS

                              JAMAIS

                                                                                                                          QUAND BIEN MÊME LANCÉ DANS DES CIRCONSTANCES
                                                                                                                    ÉTERNELLES
                                                                                                                  DU FOND D’UN NAUFRAGE

                       SOIT
                  que
    l’Abîme
              blanchi
              étale
            furieux
              sous une inclinaison
    plane désespérément
       d’aile
             la sienne
                                                                                                                    par avance retombée d’un mal à dresser le vol
                                                                                                                     et couvrant les jaillissements
                                                                                                            coupant au ras les bonds
                                                                                                                      très à l’intérieur résume
                                                                                                    l’ombre enfouie dans la profondeur par cette voile alternative
                                                                                                                         jusqu’adapter
                                                                                                                 à l’envergure
                                                                                                          sa béante profondeur en tant que la coque
                                                                                                                d’un bâtiment
                                                                                                                           penché de l’un ou l’autre bord

          LE MAÎTRE
   surgi
                                                                                                                  hors d’anciens calculs
                    inférant
                                                                                                                             où la manœuvre avec l’âge oubliée
                                                                                                      jadis il empoignait la barre
                        de cette conflagration à ses pieds
                                                                                                              de l’horizon unanime
             que se prépare
                                                                                                                         s’agite et mêle
                                                                                                       au poing qui l’étreindrait
          comme on menace un destin et les vents
       l’unique Nombre qui ne peut pas être un autre
                                                                                                    Esprit
                                                                                                                     pour le jeter
                                                                                                                  dans la tempête
                                                                                                               en reployer la division et passer fier
 hésite
cadavre par le bras écarté du secret qu’il détient
            plutôt
  que de jouer
            en maniaque chenu
                la partie
 au nom des flots
                                                                                                        un envahit le chef
                                                                                                               coule en barbe soumise
               naufrage cela direct de l’homme
                                                                                                    sans nef
                                                                                                                         n’importe
                                                                                                     où vaine

             ancestralement à n’ouvrir pas la main
crispée
         par-delà l’inutile tête
             legs en la disparition
                 à quelqu’un
              ambigu
                 l’ultérieur démon immémorial
              ayant
             de contrées nulles
    induit
               le vieillard vers cette conjonction suprême avec la probabilité
              celui
          son ombre puérile
                 caressée et polie et rendue et lavée
            assouplie par la vague et soustraite
                    aux durs os perdus entre les ais
                       né
       d’un ébat
                  la mer par l’aïeul tentant ou l’aïeul contre la mer
                  une chance oiseuse
    Fiançailles
                 dont
   le voile d’illusion rejailli leur hantise
                       ainsi que le fantôme d’un geste
                   chancellera
     s’affalera
  folie

                           N’ABOLIRA

                 COMME SI
            Une insinuation simple
        au silence enroulée avec ironie
                                                                                                              ou
                                                                                                                        le mystère
                                                                                                                    précipité
                                                                                                          hurlé
                   dans quelque proche tourbillon d’hilarité et d’horreur
                  voltige autour du gouffre
                                                                                                                        sans le joncher
                                                                                                                       ni fuir
                                                                                                     et en berce le vierge indice
                                                                                                          COMME SI

                    plume solitaire éperdue
                                                                                                                         sauf que la rencontre ou l’effleure une toque de minuit
                                                                                                                et immobilise
                                                                                                     au velours chiffonné par un esclaffement sombre
                                                                                                                             cette blancheur rigide
                                                                                                                        dérisoire
                                                                                                       en opposition au ciel
                                                                                                                      trop
                                                                                                          pour ne pas marquer
                                                                                                                   exigüment
                                                                                                                           quiconque
                                                                                                                   prince amer de l’écueil
                                                                                                               s’en coiffe comme de l’héroïque
                                                                                                              irrésistible mais contenu
                                                                                                    par sa petite raison virile
                                                                                                              en foudre

               soucieux
        expiatoire et pubère
    muet
                                                                                                                       rire
                                                                                                           que
                                                                                                         SI
                         La lucide et seigneuriale aigrette de vertige
                     au front invisible
              scintille
     puis ombrage
         une stature mignonne ténébreuse debout
  en sa torsion de sirène
                                                                                                                         le temps
                                                                                                                      de souffleter
          par d’impatientes squames ultimes bifurquées
                                                                                                                   un roc
                                                                                                          faux manoir
                                                                                                                tout de suite
                                                                                                       évaporé en brumes
                                                                                                                 qui imposa
                                                                                                            une borne à l’infini

  C'ÉTAIT
           issu stellaire LE NOMBRE
                                                                                                           EXISTÂT-IL
                                                                                                                autrement qu’hallucination éparse d’agonie
                                                                                                                 COMMENÇÂT-IL ET CESSÂT-IL
                                                                                                            sourdant que nié et clos quand apparu
                                                                                                              enfin
                                                                                                          par quelque profusion répandue en rareté
                                                                                                              SE CHIFFRÂT-IL
                                                                                                                    évidence de la somme pour peu qu’une
                                                                                                                  ILLUMINÂT-IL
                CE SERAIT
                pire
            non
                   davantage ni moins
     indifféremment mais autant

                         LE HASARD

                                                                                                                 Choit
                                                                                                       la plume
                                                                                                                rythmique suspens du sinistre
                                                                                                                         s’ensevelir
                                                                                                                 aux écumes orginelles
                                                                                                            naguères d’où sursauta son délire jusqu’à une cime
                                                                                                               flétrie
                                                                                                                           par la neutralité identique du gouffre

        RIEN
       de la mémorable crise
                      ou se fût
                        l’évènement accompli en vue de tout résultat nul
                                                                                                            humain
                                                                                                                N’AURA EU LIEU
                                                                                                                  une élévation ordinaire verse l’absence
                                                                                                                           QUE LE LIEU
                                                                                                           inférieur clapotis quelconque comme pour disperser l’acte vide
                                                                                                               abruptement qui sinon
                                                                                                                      par son mensonge
                                                                                                              eût fondé
                                                                                                                    la perdition
                                                                                                               dans ces parages
                                                                                                           du vague
                                                                                                                       en quoi toute réalité se dissout

  EXCEPTÉ
            à l’altitude
                  PEUT-ÊTRE
                      aussi loin qu’un endroit fusionne avec au-delà
                                                                                                       hors l’intérêt
                                                                                                                       quant à lui signalé
                                                                                                       en général
                                                                                                     selon telle obliquité par telle déclivité
                                                                                                               de feux
                                                                                                                    vers
                                                                                                                           ce doit être
                                                                                                         le Septentrion aussi Nord
                                                                                                                         UNE CONSTELLATION
                                                                                                     froide d’oubli et de désuétude
                                                                                                                    pas tant
                                                                                                                           qu’elle n’énumère
                                                                                                          sur quelque surface vacante et supérieure
                                                                                                            le heurt successif
                                                                                                                  sidéralement
                                                                                                                             d’un compte total en formation
                                                                                                    veillant
                                                                                                      doutant
                                                                                                                          roulant
                                                                                                            brillant et méditant
                                                                                                                       avant de s’arrêter
                                                                                                                 à quelque point dernier qui le sacre
                                                                                                                 Toute Pensée émet un Coup de Dés



[Stéphane Mallarmé, poème paru en 1897 dans la revue Cosmopolis puis publié en 1914 dans La Nouvelle Revue Française.]