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.]