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.]