Henri Michaux

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Henri Michaux, 3 selected poems Simplicity (Translated by Richard Ellmann) What has been particularly lacking in my life up to now is simplicity. Little by little I am beginning to change. For example, I always go out with my bed now and when a woman pleases me, I take her and go to bed with her immediately. If her ears are ugly and large, or her nose, I remove them along with her clothes and put them under the bed, for her to take back when she leaves; I keep only what I like. If her underthings would improve by being changed, I change them immediately. That is my gift. But, if I see a better-looking woman go by, I apologize to the first and make her disappear at once. People who know me claim that I am incapable of doing what I just described, that I haven’t enough spunk. I once thought so myself, but that was because I wasn’t doing everything just as I pleased. Now, I always have excellent afternoons. (Mornings I work.) My Occuptations (Translated by Richard Ellmann) I can rarely see anyone without fighting him. Others prefer the interior monologue. Not me, I like fighting best. There are people who sit down in front of me at the restaurant and say nothing, they stay on a while, for they have decided to eat. Here is one of them. See how I grab him, boom! See how I re-grab him, boom! I hang him on the coat hook. I unhook him. I hang him up again. I re-unhook him. I put him on the table, I push him together and choke him. I foul him up, I flood him He revives. I rinse him off, I stretch him out (I am beginning to get worked up, I must finish off), I bunch him together, I squeeze him, I sum him up and introduce him in my glass, and ostentatiously throw the contents to the ground, and say to the waiter:<< Let me have a cleaner glass>> But I feel ill, pay the check quickly and go Carry Me Away Translated by Eli Siegel Carry me away into a Portuguese boat of once, Into an old and gentle Portuguese boat of once, Into the stem of the boat, or if you wish, into the foam, And lose me, in the distance, in the distance. Into the yoking of another time. Into the deceiving velvet of snow. Into the breath of some dogs brought together again. Into the weary gathering of dead leaves. Carry me, without breaking me, into kisses, Into breasts that raise themselves and breathe, On palms covering them and their smile, Into the corridors of long bones, and of articulations. Carry me away, or rather dig me deep.

Henri Michaux,

3 selected poems

Simplicity

(Translated by Richard Ellmann)

What has been particularly lacking in my life up to now is simplicity. Little by little I am beginning to change.

For example, I always go out with my bed now and when a woman pleases me, I take her and go to bed with her immediately.

If her ears are ugly and large, or her nose, I remove them along with her clothes and put them under the bed, for her to take back when she leaves; I keep only what I like.

If her underthings would improve by being changed, I change them immediately. That is my gift. But, if I see a better-looking woman go by, I apologize to the first and make her disappear at once.

People who know me claim that I am incapable of doing what I just described, that I haven’t enough spunk. I once thought so myself, but that was because I wasn’t doing everything just as I pleased.

Now, I always have excellent afternoons. (Mornings I work.)

My Occuptations

(Translated by Richard Ellmann)

I can rarely see anyone without fighting him. Others prefer the interior monologue. Not me, I like fighting best. There are people who sit down in front of me at the restaurant and say nothing, they stay on a while, for they have decided to eat.
Here is one of them.
See how I grab him, boom!
See how I re-grab him, boom!
I hang him on the coat hook.
I unhook him.
I hang him up again.
I re-unhook him.
I put him on the table, I push him together and choke him.
I foul him up, I flood him
He revives.
I rinse him off, I stretch him out (I am beginning to get worked up, I must finish off), I bunch him together, I squeeze him, I sum him up and introduce him in my glass, and ostentatiously throw the contents to the ground, and say to the waiter:<< Let me have a cleaner glass>> But I feel ill, pay the check quickly and go

Carry Me Away

Translated by Eli Siegel

Carry me away into a Portuguese boat of once,
Into an old and gentle Portuguese boat of once,
Into the stem of the boat, or if you wish, into the foam,
And lose me, in the distance, in the distance.
Into the yoking of another time.
Into the deceiving velvet of snow.
Into the breath of some dogs brought together again.
Into the weary gathering of dead leaves.
Carry me, without breaking me, into kisses,
Into breasts that raise themselves and breathe,
On palms covering them and their smile,
Into the corridors of long bones, and of articulations.
Carry me away, or rather dig me deep.