Une place minime et quelques rues,
\nAvec un Christ au carrefour ;
\nEt l\u2019Escaut gris et puis la tour
\nQui se mire, parmi les eaux bourrues ;
\nEt le quartier du Dam, mis\u00e9rable et l\u00e9preux,
\nJet\u00e9 comme au hasard vers les prairies ;
\nEt pr\u00e8s du cimeti\u00e8re aux buis nombreux,
\nLa chapelle vou\u00e9e \u00e0 la Vierge Marie,
\nPar un marin qui s\u2019en revint
\nOn ne sait quand
\nDes Bermudes ou de Ceylan ;
\nTel est \u2014 je m\u2019en souviens apr\u00e8s combien d\u2019ann\u00e9es \u2014
\nLe village de Saint-Amand
\nO\u00f9 je suis n\u00e9.
\nC\u2019est l\u00e0 que je v\u00e9cus mon enfance angoiss\u00e9e,
\nParmi les gens de peine et de m\u00e9tier,
\nCorroyeurs, forgerons, calfats et charpentiers,
\nAvec le fleuve immense au bout de ma pens\u00e9e.<\/p>\n
Les jours de franc soleil et de belle saison,
\nAux fen\u00eatres de ma maison
\nJe regardais passer et luire
\nLa voile au vent des beaux navires.
\nJ\u2019\u00e9tais l\u2019ami de l\u2019horloger et du charron
\nEt du vannier et du marchand de cordes.
\nJ\u2019\u00e9tais un vaurien doux : toute la horde
\nDes va-nu-pieds m\u2019appelaient par mon nom ;
\nEt les mois d\u2019or et de fruits rouges
\nJ\u2019allais, le soir venu, de bouge en bouge,
\nChercher l\u2019un d\u2019eux pour m\u2019en aller,
\nAvec son aide, \u00e0 pas l\u00e9gers,
\nVoler
\nDans les vergers.<\/p>\n
Jean Til, le vieux sonneur de messe,
\nPour me complaire un peu m\u2019amenait voir,
\nL\u2019\u00e9t\u00e9, avant que ne tomb\u00e2t le soir,
\nLe gros bourdon qui sonnait les kermesses.
\nJe m\u2019appuyais sur des planchers l\u00e9gers,
\nJe m\u2019accrochais aux pliantes \u00e9chelles,
\nJe faisais fuir de leurs nids clairs, les hirondelles ;
\nJ\u2019avais grand\u2019peur, mais j\u2019adorais ce court danger
\nD\u2019\u00eatre si haut
\nSans trop savoir comment descendre.
\nAux doigts collaient la poussi\u00e8re et la cendre,
\nDe vieux pl\u00e2tras pendaient comme autant de lambeaux,
\nJ\u2019eusse voulu monter, monter, jusques au fa\u00eete,
\nO\u00f9 nichaient les hiboux, o\u00f9 pleuraient les chouettes,
\nPour voir, au bout des grand\u2019routes et leurs sillages,
\nAvec leurs croix et leurs coqs lourds,
\nLes autres tours,
\nLes tours,
\nL\u00e0-bas, des plus lointains villages.<\/p>\n
J\u2019avais l\u2019orgueil de mon clocher
\nEt les querelles \u00e9taient chaudes,
\nLes jours de foire ou de march\u00e9,
\nQuand ceux d\u2019Opdorp ou de Baesrode
\nVantaient trop hardiment le leur.
\nLe mien m\u2019\u00e9tait un champion de pierre
\nCarrant si largement sa force et sa valeur,
\nDans la lumi\u00e8re,
\nQue nul sans m\u2019insulter ne le pouvait narguer.
\nJ\u2019eusse voulu l\u2019instituer
\nMa\u00eetre supr\u00eame et roi de ma contr\u00e9e.
\nAussi de quelle angoisse et de quelle douleur,
\nMon \u00e2me en deuil fut atterr\u00e9e,
\nLa nuit que je le vis tout ruisselant de feux
\nS\u2019affaisser mort, dans l\u2019ancien cimeti\u00e8re,
\nLe front fendu par le milieu,
\n\u00c0 coups d\u2019\u00e9clairs et de tonnerres.<\/p>\n
Il lui fallut trois ans pour ressurgir au jour !
\nTrois ans pour se dresser vainqueur de sa ruine !
\nTrois ans que je gardai, dans ma poitrine,
\nLa blessure port\u00e9e \u00e0 mon na\u00eff amour !<\/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":[712],"poems-book":[694],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[654],"class_list":["post-15320","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-712","poems-book-les-tendresses-premieres","poete-emile-verhaeren"],"yoast_head":"\n