Une main je tiens

Je te tiens la main
À demain je tiens
Ces derniers jours j’ai tenu
Et bien que quelque peu dépassé
Par un présent ténu
Alors même que j’étais nu
J’ai tenu
À deux mains je te tiens
Toi et les tiens ne seront détenus
Dans ta tenue
Je te vois sans même que tu te dérobes
Je te vois nue
Je tombe des nues

 

MOMENTOM EDITIONS

 

This poem by Alain plays with sound patterns and double meanings to explore themes of attachment, fragility, and emotional unveiling. The apparent simplicity of the vocabulary contrasts with the depth of ideas and wordplay that enrich the text.

The poem opens with an image of connection: “Une main je tiens” (“A hand I hold”) introduces the idea of physical and emotional bonds. This held hand becomes metaphorical in “Je te tiens la main” (“I hold your hand”), symbolizing support and attachment. The addition of “À demain je tiens” (“I hold on to tomorrow”) transforms this relationship into a promise directed toward the future, where the concept of “holding” becomes one of persevering through challenges.

The following lines play on phonetic and semantic associations: “quelque peu dépassé” (“somewhat overwhelmed”) expresses a state of turmoil, amplified by “un présent ténu” (“a tenuous present”), where “ténu” implies fragility, almost imperceptibility, reinforcing the tension between vulnerability and endurance. This fragility reaches its peak in “j’étais nu” (“I was naked”), where nudity symbolizes raw truth, stripped of all pretenses, while introducing a play on sound with “ténu” and “j’ai tenu” (“I held on”), emphasizing persistence despite vulnerability.

The recurring verb “tenir” (“to hold”) evokes constancy and strength, but also hints at control and relationships: “Toi et les tiens ne seront détenus” (“You and yours will not be detained”) plays on the double meaning of “détenus,” intertwining imprisonment and possession. “Dans ta tenue” (“In your attire”) extends this ambiguity, suggesting both appearance and behavior.

The ending, “Je te vois nue” (“I see you naked”), reveals an intimate truth, immediately followed by “Je tombe des nues” (“I am taken aback”), which reverses the perspective. This wordplay juxtaposes the unveiling of another with inner upheaval, emphasizing the duality between revelation and surprise.

Through its sounds and word games, Alain’s text expresses a struggle between fragility and resilience in the quest for intimacy and understanding.