A translation of a pyramid poem by Québécois poet, writer, artist, and musician Raôul (or Raöul) Duguay. I’m not sure quite what to make of it, but I do like the chords and discords that result from reading it out loud. It comes across as a sort of Lucky’s speech from ‘Godot’ without any syntactical architecture!
oh ah ah mine thine yes no all nothing flower nettle bird viper universe cell order a disorder starfishy nebula atom bread butter fire air freedom water slavery sun field town alley plane earth globe lunar light garden shadow asphalt tree delight day night tear fear house table wheat room province state stone weather space particles east full love west empty hunger smile caress you him fear work luck spring someone theirs muscles iron foot hand breast sweet woman sex arms wife rock heart essence thirst faith flesh existence prison light summer leaf juice autumn plastic concrete mountain horse pathway valley car cement egg hatching health mother bomb blood scratch music star snow pine tree cry sleep twilight law color rhythm butterfly game earthworm grey speed stop wolfpack dance wave ocean shoreline salt accident face foam slide singing prayer speaking book sun machine radio television plan caress drawing line curve volume step building silver electricity go fruit vegetable milk honey cereals hot dog hamburger steak potatoes child woman beauty peace MAN MAN animal vegetable mineral moved
Due to the difficulty of having a poem formatted in HTML appear the same in all environments, we present an alternate version in image form below:
Here’s the original (not to be confused with another Duguay pyramid poem of the same title):
ô a a ma ta oui non tout rien fleur ortie oiseau vipère univers cellule ordre un désordre astérisme nébuleuse atome pain beurre feu air liberté eau esclave soleil champ ville ruelle planète terre globe lunaire lumière jardin ombre asphalte arbre joie jour nuit pleur peur maison table blé chambre province pays pierre temps espace poussières orient plein amour occident vide faim sourire caresse toi lui crainte travail bonheur printemps on eux muscles fer pied main sein femme bonté sexe bras femme roche coeur essence soif foi corps existence prison lumière feuille été jus automne plastique béton montagne cheval sentiers vallée automobile ciment oeuf éclosion santé maman bombe explosion sang bobo musique étoile neige sapin cri sommeil crépuscule loi couleur rythme papillon jeu ver gris vitesse stop meute danse vague océan rivage sel accident visage écume coulée chant prière parole livre sol machine radio télévision plancaresse dessin ligne courbe volume pas building argent électricité go fruit légume lait miel céréales hot dog hamburger steak patates enfant femme beauté paix HOMME HOMME animal végétal minéral mû