Then
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim.
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim.
Samuel Beckett
Void cannot go.
Save dim go.
Then all go.
All not alreadv gone.
Till dim
L. L. •L
llack. Then all back. All not still gone. The one can go.
TIlt' twain can go. Dim can go. Void cannot go. Savp LLL
dim go. Then all go.
On back better worse to fail the head said seat of all. Germ of all. All? If of all of it too. Where if not there it too? There in the sunken head the sunken head. The hands. The eves. Shade with the other shades. In thc same dim. The same narrow void. Befon' the staring e\es. \Vhere it too if not there too? Ask not. No. Ask ill "ain. Bdter 'I-orse so.
LL. GL.
for good. "\11 for good. Gooel and all.
\\' hose words? Ask in "ain. Or not in yain if sav no
108
109
The head. Ask not if it can go. Say no. lnasking no.
L.
It cannot go. Save dim go. Then all go. Oh dim go. Go
L
knowin£. No sayin£. No words for him whost' words.
,•L
Him'? On('. No words for ant' whose \HJrds. On\:'? It. No \wnls for it \\"I1Ose words. Betkr w'orse so.
Sonlt'thin£ not WToner with one. Meaninl2:-,-meaning! L t" L- L
--,meaning the kneeling one. From no\\' one fur the
kneeling one. As from now two for the twain. TIl<' as
on\:' plodding twain. As from now three for the head.
TIlt' Ilt'ad as first said missaid. So from nO\L For to l2:ain
L
time. Time to lose. Gain time to lose. As the sou] onc\:'. TIlt' world once.
Somethinl2: not \ITonl2: with one. Then \I'ith two. LL
Then with three. So on. Som\:'thing not wrong \I'ith all. Far from wrong. Far far from \ITong.
LL
The words too whoseso\:'Yer. What room for worse:
How almost true th\:,y sometimes almost ring: HO\I'
wantinl2: in inanity! Say tIlt' nil2:ht is Young alas and take
L-L•L
heart. Or better worse say still a \I'atch of night alas to COlne. :\ H'st of last watch to come. ,\wl take hl'art.
First one. First trY fail bdter one. Somethina there
110
111
. c
badly not wrong. Not that as it is it is not bad. TIlt' no
•L
face bad. TIlt' no hands bad. TIlt' no-. Enough. ~-\. po"
on bad. Mere bad. Way for wors\:'. P\:'nding wars\:' still.
First \Iors\:'. M\:'re \I'ors\:'. Pending \\ors\:' still. Add a--.
Add'? Neyer. Bow it dO\\l1. Be it bO\I'ed down. Deep
dO\I'n. H\:'ad in hat gone. More back gone. Greatcoat
LL
cut off hil2:hcr. I\othing from neh-is dO\\l1. \othing
LL
r
L
but bow\:'d back. Topless baseless hindtrnnk. Dim black. On unseen knees. In the dim \oid. Ikttl'r \\orse so. Pending worse still.
:\'e"t trY fail better t\IO. The twain. Bad as it is as it is. Bad tllLo no-
First IJack on to thr\:'e. ;\at :'et to tr: \IOrS\:'11. Simpl: lw tllt're again. Then' in that lwad in that head. Be it again. That head in that head. Clenched e\('s clamped to it alone. Alone? :;\0. Too. To it tOD. The sunken skull. The crippltod hands. Cienclwli staring ('ws. Cl('nclll'd ('\('S clamped to cknclw(l staring eYes. lk
that shade again. In that shade again. \Vith tlll' other ~~
shades. \Vorseninf! : shades. In the dim void.
Next
First how all at once. In that stare. The worsened one. The worsening two. And what \-et to worsen. To tn worsen. Itself. The dim. The void. All at once m that stare. Clenched e\-es clampeu to all.
Next two. From bau to worsen. Tn vvorsen. From merely bad. Add-. Add? l\ever. The boots. Better' worse bootless. Bare heels. Now the two right. Now the two left. Left right left right on. Barefoot unreced ing on. Better worse so. A little better worse than noth mg so.
Next the so-said seat and germ of all. Those hands! That head! That near true ring! Awav. Full face from now. No hands. No face. Skull and stare alone. Scene and seer of all.
On. Stare on. Sayan. Be on. Somehow on. _\. m-ho\\ all. Till dim gone. At long last gone. All at long last
LLLL
gone. For hau ancl all. For poor best worse ancl all.
Dim whence unknown. At all costs unknown. Un changing. Sa\- now unchanging. Far and wide. High
and low. Sa:- a pipe in that void. A tube. Sealed.
Then
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim. Old dim. When
ever what else? Where all alwavs to be seen. Of the
nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Nothing ever unseen. ~•G
Of the nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Worsen that?
~
Next the so-said void. The so-missaid. That narrow field. Rife with shades. Well so-missaid. Shade-ridden void. How better worse so-missa\-?
Acid others. Adcl? Never. Till if needs must. Noth ing to those so far. Dimlv so far. Them onh- lessen.
~
But with thpm as the\- lessen others. As thev worsen. If needs must. Others to lessen. To worsen. Till dim go. At long last go. For worst and all.
112
11. 3
LL. LL l
On. Somehow on. AndlOw on. Sal all gone. So on. . •L
In the skull all gone. All? No. All cannot go. Till dim LL
go. Sa: then but the t\lO gone. In the skull one and two gone. From the void. From the stare. In the skull
L
all save the skull gone. The stare. Alone in the dim
L
void. Alone to be seen. Dimly seen. In the skull the skull alone to be seen. The staring ('\'es. Dimh seen.
L. •
B: the staring e:'es. The others gone. Long sudden gone. Then sudden back. Unchanged. Sal' now un changed. First one. Then two. Or first two. Then one. Or together. Then all again together. The bowed back. The plodding twain. The skull. The stare. All back in the skull together. Unchanged. Stare clamped to all. In the dim void.
The eyes. Time to-
First on back to unsa\' dim can go. Someho\l' on •L
back. Dim cannot go. Dim to go must go for good. e- L L G
True then dim can go. If but for good. One can go not LLL
for good. Two too. Three no if not for good. With dim LL
gone for good. Void no if not for good. With all gone
for goud. Dim can \l"Or,. ;en. Sonll'hu\I' \lorscn. Co no. If nut for guud.
The en's. Tim(' tu tn \lor"en. SonH:'ho\l' tn \Iursen. Gnclench. Sal staring o}wn. . \11 \lhitt' aml pupil. Dim white. \'\hite? 1\0 . . \11 pupil. Dim black lw! t-". U11\la\ cring gaping. Bl' thl'\ ";0 saill. \'\ ith \,ur,. ;eninp: \Iords. From now "0. BdtlT tImn nothing coo lwttlT(,d for tIll'
\I'or,. ;! ' .
Still dill! "till on. 5() long d" ,. ;till dim still somehu\I' on. :\. mho\1 on. \\ ith \l"Or"('ning \I onls. \\'urs('ning "tdre. For tIll' nuthing to lw ,,('('n. . \t thl' nothinp: to be
,wen. Dimh s('('n. A" nU\I })\ \la\ of sUllll'h()\\ on \\"lwre in the nO\llwn' dll together? . \11 three togdlwr. \Vhere there all lhnT a", last \\"()fse "een'? 131)\\Td lJack alone. Ban·foot ploclding: t\l'ain. Skull and lidll~"s:-;tare. \\hen' in the narrow \'a,. ;t ? Sa: onh \ ash apart. In that narnm
Hlid ya"ts of HJicl apart. \\'ur::ie lwtter later.
\\hat \I,hen \lords gone? 1\ one for \I hat then. But L
sal by \m\ of sOllleho\l' on somehow with sight to do.
114
lIS
With less of sight. Still dim and yet-. No. Nohow so on. Say better worse words gone when nohow on. Still dim and nohow on. All seen and nohow on. What words for what then? None for what then. No words for what when words gone. For what when nohow on. Somehow nohow on.
Worsening words whose unknown. Whence un known. At all costs unknown. Now for to savas worst they may onh tll<'\ only they. Dim void shadl's all
Secretes. Say bettcr w'orse secrett's. What it is tlw
words it secretes sa\. What the so-said void. The so-
said dim. The so-said shades. The so-said scat aml
germ of all. Enough to know no knO\,'ing. No knowing
LLLL
what it is the words it secretes say. No saving. No
•L
saying w,hat it all is they somehow sa\'.
That said on back to try' worse say' the plodcling twain. Preying since last worse said on foresaid re mains. But what not on them preying? What seen?
What said? What of all seen awl said not on them
prey'ing? True. True! And yet say' worst perhaps
worst of all the old man ami child. That shack as last
worse seen. Left riaht left right barefoot unrecedina L' 0 t:'
on. Thev then the words. Back to them now for want of better on and better fail. Worser fail that perhaps of all the least. Least worse failed of all the worse failed shades. Less worse than the bowed back alone. The skull and lillless stare. Though the\' too for worse. But what not for w'orsE', True, True! And \'et sa\' first the
worst perhaps worst of all the old man and child. Worst in need of worse. \l1orst in
they. ~othing SenT \\hat thn sav. Somehow sa\'. i\o
"l
tbing saYt' they. \Vhat tht,\ sa\. Whost'sot'\Tr \\hence-
SOCY\'[ sa\. As worst tlH'V l11<lV fail {'Yt'}' \,'orse [0 sa\',
Remains of mind then still. Enough still.
L. L. •L
llack. Then all back. All not still gone. The one can go.
TIlt' twain can go. Dim can go. Void cannot go. Savp LLL
dim go. Then all go.
On back better worse to fail the head said seat of all. Germ of all. All? If of all of it too. Where if not there it too? There in the sunken head the sunken head. The hands. The eves. Shade with the other shades. In thc same dim. The same narrow void. Befon' the staring e\es. \Vhere it too if not there too? Ask not. No. Ask ill "ain. Bdter 'I-orse so.
LL. GL.
for good. "\11 for good. Gooel and all.
\\' hose words? Ask in "ain. Or not in yain if sav no
108
109
The head. Ask not if it can go. Say no. lnasking no.
L.
It cannot go. Save dim go. Then all go. Oh dim go. Go
L
knowin£. No sayin£. No words for him whost' words.
,•L
Him'? On('. No words for ant' whose \HJrds. On\:'? It. No \wnls for it \\"I1Ose words. Betkr w'orse so.
Sonlt'thin£ not WToner with one. Meaninl2:-,-meaning! L t" L- L
--,meaning the kneeling one. From no\\' one fur the
kneeling one. As from now two for the twain. TIl<' as
on\:' plodding twain. As from now three for the head.
TIlt' Ilt'ad as first said missaid. So from nO\L For to l2:ain
L
time. Time to lose. Gain time to lose. As the sou] onc\:'. TIlt' world once.
Somethinl2: not \ITonl2: with one. Then \I'ith two. LL
Then with three. So on. Som\:'thing not wrong \I'ith all. Far from wrong. Far far from \ITong.
LL
The words too whoseso\:'Yer. What room for worse:
How almost true th\:,y sometimes almost ring: HO\I'
wantinl2: in inanity! Say tIlt' nil2:ht is Young alas and take
L-L•L
heart. Or better worse say still a \I'atch of night alas to COlne. :\ H'st of last watch to come. ,\wl take hl'art.
First one. First trY fail bdter one. Somethina there
110
111
. c
badly not wrong. Not that as it is it is not bad. TIlt' no
•L
face bad. TIlt' no hands bad. TIlt' no-. Enough. ~-\. po"
on bad. Mere bad. Way for wors\:'. P\:'nding wars\:' still.
First \Iors\:'. M\:'re \I'ors\:'. Pending \\ors\:' still. Add a--.
Add'? Neyer. Bow it dO\\l1. Be it bO\I'ed down. Deep
dO\I'n. H\:'ad in hat gone. More back gone. Greatcoat
LL
cut off hil2:hcr. I\othing from neh-is dO\\l1. \othing
LL
r
L
but bow\:'d back. Topless baseless hindtrnnk. Dim black. On unseen knees. In the dim \oid. Ikttl'r \\orse so. Pending worse still.
:\'e"t trY fail better t\IO. The twain. Bad as it is as it is. Bad tllLo no-
First IJack on to thr\:'e. ;\at :'et to tr: \IOrS\:'11. Simpl: lw tllt're again. Then' in that lwad in that head. Be it again. That head in that head. Clenched e\('s clamped to it alone. Alone? :;\0. Too. To it tOD. The sunken skull. The crippltod hands. Cienclwli staring ('ws. Cl('nclll'd ('\('S clamped to cknclw(l staring eYes. lk
that shade again. In that shade again. \Vith tlll' other ~~
shades. \Vorseninf! : shades. In the dim void.
Next
First how all at once. In that stare. The worsened one. The worsening two. And what \-et to worsen. To tn worsen. Itself. The dim. The void. All at once m that stare. Clenched e\-es clampeu to all.
Next two. From bau to worsen. Tn vvorsen. From merely bad. Add-. Add? l\ever. The boots. Better' worse bootless. Bare heels. Now the two right. Now the two left. Left right left right on. Barefoot unreced ing on. Better worse so. A little better worse than noth mg so.
Next the so-said seat and germ of all. Those hands! That head! That near true ring! Awav. Full face from now. No hands. No face. Skull and stare alone. Scene and seer of all.
On. Stare on. Sayan. Be on. Somehow on. _\. m-ho\\ all. Till dim gone. At long last gone. All at long last
LLLL
gone. For hau ancl all. For poor best worse ancl all.
Dim whence unknown. At all costs unknown. Un changing. Sa\- now unchanging. Far and wide. High
and low. Sa:- a pipe in that void. A tube. Sealed.
Then
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim. Old dim. When
ever what else? Where all alwavs to be seen. Of the
nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Nothing ever unseen. ~•G
Of the nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Worsen that?
~
Next the so-said void. The so-missaid. That narrow field. Rife with shades. Well so-missaid. Shade-ridden void. How better worse so-missa\-?
Acid others. Adcl? Never. Till if needs must. Noth ing to those so far. Dimlv so far. Them onh- lessen.
~
But with thpm as the\- lessen others. As thev worsen. If needs must. Others to lessen. To worsen. Till dim go. At long last go. For worst and all.
112
11. 3
LL. LL l
On. Somehow on. AndlOw on. Sal all gone. So on. . •L
In the skull all gone. All? No. All cannot go. Till dim LL
go. Sa: then but the t\lO gone. In the skull one and two gone. From the void. From the stare. In the skull
L
all save the skull gone. The stare. Alone in the dim
L
void. Alone to be seen. Dimly seen. In the skull the skull alone to be seen. The staring ('\'es. Dimh seen.
L. •
B: the staring e:'es. The others gone. Long sudden gone. Then sudden back. Unchanged. Sal' now un changed. First one. Then two. Or first two. Then one. Or together. Then all again together. The bowed back. The plodding twain. The skull. The stare. All back in the skull together. Unchanged. Stare clamped to all. In the dim void.
The eyes. Time to-
First on back to unsa\' dim can go. Someho\l' on •L
back. Dim cannot go. Dim to go must go for good. e- L L G
True then dim can go. If but for good. One can go not LLL
for good. Two too. Three no if not for good. With dim LL
gone for good. Void no if not for good. With all gone
for goud. Dim can \l"Or,. ;en. Sonll'hu\I' \lorscn. Co no. If nut for guud.
The en's. Tim(' tu tn \lor"en. SonH:'ho\l' tn \Iursen. Gnclench. Sal staring o}wn. . \11 \lhitt' aml pupil. Dim white. \'\hite? 1\0 . . \11 pupil. Dim black lw! t-". U11\la\ cring gaping. Bl' thl'\ ";0 saill. \'\ ith \,ur,. ;eninp: \Iords. From now "0. BdtlT tImn nothing coo lwttlT(,d for tIll'
\I'or,. ;! ' .
Still dill! "till on. 5() long d" ,. ;till dim still somehu\I' on. :\. mho\1 on. \\ ith \l"Or"('ning \I onls. \\'urs('ning "tdre. For tIll' nuthing to lw ,,('('n. . \t thl' nothinp: to be
,wen. Dimh s('('n. A" nU\I })\ \la\ of sUllll'h()\\ on \\"lwre in the nO\llwn' dll together? . \11 three togdlwr. \Vhere there all lhnT a", last \\"()fse "een'? 131)\\Td lJack alone. Ban·foot ploclding: t\l'ain. Skull and lidll~"s:-;tare. \\hen' in the narrow \'a,. ;t ? Sa: onh \ ash apart. In that narnm
Hlid ya"ts of HJicl apart. \\'ur::ie lwtter later.
\\hat \I,hen \lords gone? 1\ one for \I hat then. But L
sal by \m\ of sOllleho\l' on somehow with sight to do.
114
lIS
With less of sight. Still dim and yet-. No. Nohow so on. Say better worse words gone when nohow on. Still dim and nohow on. All seen and nohow on. What words for what then? None for what then. No words for what when words gone. For what when nohow on. Somehow nohow on.
Worsening words whose unknown. Whence un known. At all costs unknown. Now for to savas worst they may onh tll<'\ only they. Dim void shadl's all
Secretes. Say bettcr w'orse secrett's. What it is tlw
words it secretes sa\. What the so-said void. The so-
said dim. The so-said shades. The so-said scat aml
germ of all. Enough to know no knO\,'ing. No knowing
LLLL
what it is the words it secretes say. No saving. No
•L
saying w,hat it all is they somehow sa\'.
That said on back to try' worse say' the plodcling twain. Preying since last worse said on foresaid re mains. But what not on them preying? What seen?
What said? What of all seen awl said not on them
prey'ing? True. True! And yet say' worst perhaps
worst of all the old man ami child. That shack as last
worse seen. Left riaht left right barefoot unrecedina L' 0 t:'
on. Thev then the words. Back to them now for want of better on and better fail. Worser fail that perhaps of all the least. Least worse failed of all the worse failed shades. Less worse than the bowed back alone. The skull and lillless stare. Though the\' too for worse. But what not for w'orsE', True, True! And \'et sa\' first the
worst perhaps worst of all the old man and child. Worst in need of worse. \l1orst in
they. ~othing SenT \\hat thn sav. Somehow sa\'. i\o
"l
tbing saYt' they. \Vhat tht,\ sa\. Whost'sot'\Tr \\hence-
SOCY\'[ sa\. As worst tlH'V l11<lV fail {'Yt'}' \,'orse [0 sa\',
Remains of mind then still. Enough still.
