OBSERVATIONS OF CLOUDS

IN MARSEILLE DURING THE DAYS WHEN
THE MISTRAL WIND BLEW I HAD TO
GO TO THE EAST WINDOW OF THE
BEDROOM AND TIGHTLY CLOSE THE WINDOW
OPPOSITE WHICH OVERLOOKED THE TERRACE
BECAUSE THE WIND WAS FURIOUSLY
BOMBARDING THE PANES AND SOMETIMES EVEN

BREAKING THEM WITH THE GRAINS
OF SAND IT CARRIED
I THEN SAW
IN THE SKY SO MARVELOUSLY BLUE
A SORT OF OFF-WHITE PARTITION
RAISED TO A CERTAIN HEIGHT
ABOVE THE HORIZON AND CLEANLY
CUT OFF TOWARD THE TOP
THIS GREY WALL WAS EVIDENTLY
COMPOSED OF DUST LIFTED UP AND

CARRIED OFF BY THE MISTRAL WIND
WHICH FOUND ENOUGH ON ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THE
CITY WHERE HUNDREDS OF HOUSES OF A
CHALKY VERY CRUMBLY STONE WERE THEN
BEING TORN DOWN AND CONSTRUCTED
BUT WHAT WAS MY
ASTONISHMENT TO SEE DETACHING THEMSELVES
FROM THE UPPER HORIZONTAL EDGE OF
THIS GRAY PARTITION WHICH THE RAYS

OF SUN SEEMED TO DIVIDE INTO
BANDS ANGLED WITH DIFFERENT
NUANCES
LITTLE CLOUDS THAT
ROSE UP WITH PUFFS OF WIND WHILE
EXPANDING
EXACTLY LIKE
THE SMOKE FROM THE BARREL OF A GUN
THESE LITTLE CLOUDS MIXED TOGETHER
AND WERE CARRIED OFF BY THE WIND TOWARD THE
SOUTH EAST WHERE THEY SOON DISSIPATED