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In water, there is diving and the thirst quenched

In your eyes, diving but no thirst quenched

In your eyes, there is a sea where drowning makes you live, not die

There is the secret at the center of the spring forest at last unveiled

And the second sun we all long for

Around your eyes, only an ocean's foam without noise

Above your eyes no blue sky, this passionless con artist

In your eyes birds an reptiles are hiding

Nevertheless they sing and gleam

Remembering their common origin

When your eyes drown me, it is not down

If they were Death, it would be Lethe

My thought is not me!

My thought is more than me!

My thought comes from within me!

My thought is outside of me

Since it is no longer within me

And since it is toward you

And you within it

In water, there is diving and the thirst quenched

In your eyes, diving but no thirst quenched

In your eyes, there is a sea where drowning makes you live, not die

There is the secret at the center of the spring forest unveiled

And the second sun we all long for

Around your eyes, only an ocean's foam without noise

In your eyes birds an reptiles are hiding

Nevertheless they gleam

As in my soul

You’re the one that I shall love

As if Time were gone above.

You do know you will not last

And as much has done your Past.

Don't care the Future ahead

Cos’ too soon all will have fled.

So with me please be Present

If only for a moment.

12/05/2026

She is not the sky of a summer shining night with all its eyes,
But it always seems to me that, although lying, toward it she flies

She is not the palm and forest-like greek sea
But in her calm green eyes a tempest I can foresee

She is neither the rose nor its fragrance
But the same power when she rose and when at her I threw a glance

She is neither an angel, nor a spirit, nor a goddess

But through her, like with a mourning bell, I admit my human feebleness

I am down there where all repose,

Where they all do no more oppose,

Where they all do not superpose,

Where they all decompose.

It is only a pause

For we all recompose.

I am down there where all repose,

Where nothing any more oppose,

Where nothing superpose,

Where they all decompose.

It is only a pause

For we all recompose

Tout en bas je repose,

Où plus rien ne s’oppose

Ni ne se superpose,

Où tout se décompose.

Ceci n’est qu’une pause

Car tout se recompose.

(Joël PHILIPPON 11/05/26

, auteur du recueil "POÉSIE VERSATILE", 2026)

Comme une manne

Que rien ne fane,

Verte savane

Où l’on se damne,

Verte membrane

Mieux que l'organe,

Terre océane

Mégalomane,

Le lieu de Diane

Qu'on ne profane,

Le lieu de l’âne

Et de l’iguane.

Although I can see green May in your eyes

And a golden shining sun in your hair,

To all these suns that sleep and do not rise

In the dark night, I prefer to compare.

Like the firmament, sky above blue lies,

Your ethereal skin, mind, voice, more fair

Than all the milky clouds in Spring blue skies,

Even though their soft light moves you do share.

Stars like ice, dice, spies, eyes, freeze, bees, rubies,

Radiant, distant, silent, glare without glare.

And when my soul is full of gloom and Whys

- A despondency as sad as a prayer -,

Towards the summer starry skies it flies

The very same way upon you I stare.

Its beauties dizzying me hypnotize

Until it seems a God for us does care.

Month of May

Greens visible and invisible birds

The only time of year when I don't retreat into my own mind

It is green

Beyond all that is seen.

It is like being kissed

Surrounded by a mist.

It is a universe

Above all that is worse.

It is you:

To be through all that is true.

SECOND

I have found a second blue sky in your serenity

A second sun in your smile

A second Spring in your eyes

A second Winter in your wisdom

A second sea in your madness

A second sleep in this dream come true

A second fate in your hands

A second death in your cutting my life in two

A second starry night in your love

And a second soul in your soul

You, blond girl,

Who helps us to forget this dark worl’

You, gilding beam and morning steam,

Who helps us to forget that all we see is just a day dream and all we do not seem is just a night gleam

You, green-eyed golden-haired, Spring-like enchanted time curse,

Who helps us to forget that everything turns sunnier or less sunny, for better or worse.

You, reverie,

Who helps us to forget, except you, all treasury

You, singer of lilac-clad songs sad or glad but always softer than on the water a lily pad,

Who helps us to forget that this bad and mad life is more often the wild add than the wise had

You, singer of such bright and delighting lullabies shining by night like lights of fireflies,

Who makes us hate, then regret, then forget that the sun will rise.

I have found a second blue sky in your serenity

A second sun in your smile

A second Spring in your eyes

A second Winter in your wisdom

A second sea in your madness

A second fate in your hands

A second starry night in your love

And a second soul in your soul

Pourtant jadis nous nous aimâmes

Quand nous étions telles deux âmes,

Comme se rejoignent deux feux

Ou les regards de quatre yeux.

C’était l’air transparent des anges

Où passent des fluides étranges,

Ou le soleil dans les ciels bleus

Purgés de nuages affreux.

La chair paraissait plus légère

Et devenait presque étrangère.

Rien au monde n’était plus sûr,

Rien au monde n’était plus mûr

Que la goutte de joie

Qui fait aller sans voie,

Ne plus vouloir de toits,

Rire des morts sans voix.

Pourtant jadis nous nous aimâmes

Quand nous étions telles deux âmes,

Comme se rejoignent deux feux

Ou les regards de quatre yeux.

C’était l’air transparent des anges

Où passent des fluides étranges,

Ou le soleil dans les ciels bleus

Et ses rayons partout radieux.

La chair devenait plus légère

Comme presque étrangère.

Rien au monde n’était plus sûr

-Comme le fruit devenu mûr-

Que la goutte de joie

Qui fait aller sans voie,

Qui ne veut plus de toits,

Qui fait taire la voix.

Pourtant jadis nous nous aimâmes

Quand nous étions telles deux âmes,

Comme se rejoignent deux feux

Ou les regards de quatre yeux.

C’était l’air transparent des anges

Où passent des fluides étranges,

Ou le soleil dans le ciel bleu

Et ses rayons partout de dieu.

La chair devenait plus légère

Tant il paraissait qu’on l’ingère.

Rien au monde n’était plus sûr

-Pareil quand le fruit est bien mûr-

Que la goutte de joie,

Du fait d’aller sans voie.

Tu vas au Ciel

Dans un tunnel

Sans l’aide d’ailes,

Loin du Mortel.

Plus de fiel,

Plus de duel,

Tu te dégèles,

Reste le Bel.

Le vrai réel,

Le seul, l’actuel,

À lui te mêles

Et deviens tel.

Somewhere, long ago, in a place which looked like hell,

Where the sky looked like the ceiling of a cell,

And whither indeed like angels we fell,

A place with everyone having inside a mute yell.

In this place, long ago, everyone pretended to be well,

But apparences used to swell,

Everyone was desperate as if on the edge of a well.

Somewhere, long ago, in this place, by listening to your voice and your music, I learnt how to deal with the second place where I was to dwell.

(Joël PHILIPPON, author of "POÉSIE VERSATILE, 38 french poems")