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.]