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.]