Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Michel Deguy

Alarm

We invent the mastery
Of the scale in which we disappear
The essentially broken poetry
Its rocket with bluegreen eyes in the night
Disquiets this scale still
– observer observing a centre
believing it’s a centre

Glossary plays ecarte
The fine approximations draw in
Rip feigned rupture travails
to offer itself to knocks                  it de
Nominates                                          it de
Ceives                                                      de
Viates the presentable
exhorting itself:
                       sir
                            come
                                   vent:

Alarme

Alarme

Nous inventons la maîtrsie
De l’échelle où nous disparaissons
L’essentiellement rompue la poésie
Sa fusée aux yeux pers dans la nuit
Inquiète cette échelle encore
– observateur observant un centre
en train de se prendre pour un centre

Glossaire joué à l’écarté
Les fines approximations rapprochent
Fente rupture feinte il s’escrime
Pour s’offrir aux coups                    il dé
Nomme                                              il dé
Çoit                                                        dé
Vie le présentable
s’exhortant:
                       dis
                            con
                                   viens:
Close

Alarm

We invent the mastery
Of the scale in which we disappear
The essentially broken poetry
Its rocket with bluegreen eyes in the night
Disquiets this scale still
– observer observing a centre
believing it’s a centre

Glossary plays ecarte
The fine approximations draw in
Rip feigned rupture travails
to offer itself to knocks                  it de
Nominates                                          it de
Ceives                                                      de
Viates the presentable
exhorting itself:
                       sir
                            come
                                   vent:

Alarm

We invent the mastery
Of the scale in which we disappear
The essentially broken poetry
Its rocket with bluegreen eyes in the night
Disquiets this scale still
– observer observing a centre
believing it’s a centre

Glossary plays ecarte
The fine approximations draw in
Rip feigned rupture travails
to offer itself to knocks                  it de
Nominates                                          it de
Ceives                                                      de
Viates the presentable
exhorting itself:
                       sir
                            come
                                   vent:
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
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