La couronne formidable des rois
\nEn s\u2019appuyant de tout son poids
\nSur un masque de cire
\nSemblait broyer, dans ce hall froid,
\nTout un empire.<\/p>\n
Le p\u00e2le \u00e9mail des yeux us\u00e9s
\nS\u2019\u00e9tait fendu en agonies
\nMinuscules, mais infinies,
\nSous les sourcils martyris\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
Le front avait \u00e9t\u00e9 l\u2019\u00e9clair,
\nAvant que les p\u00e2les ann\u00e9es
\nN\u2019eussent riv\u00e9 les destin\u00e9es,
\nSur ce bloc mort de morne chair.<\/p>\n
Les crins encore \u00e9taient ardents,
\nMais la colossale m\u00e2choire,
\nMi-ouverte ; laissait la gloire
\nTomber morte d\u2019entre les dents.<\/p>\n
Depuis des temps qu\u2019on ne sait pas,
\nLa couronne, violemment cruelle,
\nDe sa pouss\u00e9e indiscontinuelle
\nPloyait le chef toujours plus las.<\/p>\n
Les astuces, les perfidies
\nLouchaient en ses joyaux taill\u00e9s,
\nEt les meurtres, les sangs, les incendies
\nSemblaient reluire entre ses ors caill\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
Elle \u00e9crasait et abattait
\nCe qui jadis \u00e9tait sa gloire :
\nLe front g\u00e9ant qui la portait
\nEt la dardait vers les victoires
\nEt telle, accomplissait, sans bruit,
\nL\u2019\u0153uvre d\u2019une force qui se d\u00e9truit,
\nObstin\u00e9ment, soi-m\u00eame,
\nEt finit par se d\u00e9finir
\nPour l\u2019avenir
\nDans un embl\u00e8me.<\/p>\n
Couronne et t\u00eate \u00e9taient plac\u00e9es,
\nCouronne ardente et t\u00eate autoritaire,
\nEn un logis de verre,
\nAu fond d\u2019un hall, dans un mus\u00e9e
\nL\u2019image apparaissait d\u00e9finitive.
\nUn vieux gardien, v\u00eatu de noir,
\nVeillait, obstin\u00e9ment, sans voir
\nQue cette mort se consommait imp\u00e9rative
\nEt pr\u00e9sidait \u00e0 la force toujours accrue
\nDe la foule brassant sa vie et ses rumeurs
\nEt ses clameurs et ses fureurs au fond des rues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"annee":[201],"poems-book":[684],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[654],"class_list":["post-14956","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-201","poems-book-les-villes-tentaculaires","poete-emile-verhaeren"],"yoast_head":"\n