Wednesday, August 01, 2007

I.67

waiting to visit,
wrapped in strange poetic smells--
a wintry sun

I.66

at great aunt's house.
aunt confined by grief, illness,
obsession, piety

I.65

houses huddled by
the darkened church of Combray,
unreal in my mind

I.64

house, town, morning, night
flooded back by madeleine
from my cup of tea

I.63

and suddenly the
memory revealed itself--
Sundays at Combray

I.62

palpitating
in the depths of my being--
memory evades

I.61

called into being,
abyss of uncertainty,
mind overtaken

I.60

many years later
filled with a precious essence--
petites madeleines

I.59

worthwhile memories
are involuntary,
defeated by death

I.58

for long afterwards
old memories of Combray
clouded

I.57

aching heart soothed--
a rare and artificial
exception

I.56

daydreaming away
from the text, for pages--
Champi's mystery

I.55

in search of
time's impossible journeys
eager for George Sand

I.54

gifts of armchairs
collapse under newlyweds
but it's art

I.53

all life's things must have
intellectual profit--
grandmother's presents

I.52

premature gifts
of grandmother's quelled the tears--
four short, wide books

I.51

I could weep with her
but our relationship changed--
sorrow's puberty

I.50

unhappiness now
seen as involuntary--
my tears flow

I.49

Memories return,
an irretrievable time--
Mamma spent that night

I.48

father surprises,
devoid of principles--
Mamma in my room

I.47

Denied with silence,
scared by father's imminence--
father's candle

I.46

Coming upstairs,
I throw myself on her--
Mamma's candle

I.45

gossip of Swann's
age, wife, loves, and happiness--
a so-so ice

I.44

nervous impulses
bring on faults atop my list--
the visit ends

I.43

still moonlight--
seeming to be elsewhere,
precise muted strings

I.42

sitting on the foot
of my bed waiting for her--
silence

I.41

but the messenger
might be the sole ally--
"There is no answer."

I.40

I did not yet know
Swann would understand my pain--
love the messenger

I.39

finger bowls put round
note soon to be delivered--
Mamma not lost

I.38

lying to Françoise
to deliver my message--
the sealed envelope

I.37

Would Françoise carry
a message to my mother?
complex etiquette

I.36

missing my kiss,
I leave my heart with mother--
the stairs' varnished smell

I.35

eyes glued to mother--
finding the exact spot
to place my kiss

I.34

Maulévrier's handshake,
ignorance or cozenage?
Swann notes Saint-Simon

I.33

but three or four books
give importance this life--
newspaper's wrapper

I.32

"nice neighbours"
Celine's thanks to Swann--
case of Asti

I.31

forthcoming anguish
insulated from feeling--
iron table

I.30

Mother corners Swann
to ask of his daughter--
I follow

I.29

Swann's the topic
of all thought and action--
I'll miss my kiss

I.28

grand-generation
ruled by contrariness--
a bribe of Asti

I.27

old biddies
avoiding worldy matters--
atrophied hearing