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.]