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.]