Digital Manuscript ProjectThat Time / Cette fois
B: [0045] wheat and blue or the towpath alone on the towpath
(contd)
with the ghosts of the mules the drowned rat or bird
or whatever it was floating off into the sunset till
you could see it no more nothing stirring only the
water and the sun going down till it went down and
you vanished all vanished
A: [0046] none ever came but the child on the stone among the
giant nettles with the light coming in where the wall
had crumbled away poring on his book well on into
the night some moods the moonlight and they all out
on the roads looking for him or making up talk
breaking up two or more talking to himself being
together that way where none ever came
if it couldn’t end the old year never end like time
could go no further that time in the Post Office all
bustle Christmas bustle in off the street when no one
was looking out of the cold and rain pushed open the
[0047] door like anyone else and straight for the table
neither right nor left with all the forms and the pens
on their chains sat down first vacant seat and were
taking a look round for a change before drowsing
away
B: [0048] or that time alone on your back in the sand and no
vows to break the peace when was that an earlier
time a later time before she came after she went
or both before she came after she was gone and
you back in the old scene wherever it might be
might have been the same old scene before as then
then as after with the rat or the wheat the yellowing
ears or that time in the sand the glider passing over
that time you went back soon after long after
the nettles in the dark or moonlight muttering away
now one voice now another there was childhood for
you till there on the step in the pale sun you heard
yourself at it again not a curse for the passers
[0049] pausing to gape atthe 
scandal huddled there in the sun
where it had no warrant clutching the nightbag drooling
away out loud eyes closed and the white hair pouring
out down from under the hat and so sat on in that
pale sun forgetting it all
- Segments
That Time / Cette fois © 2022 Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project.
Editors: James Little and Vincent Neyt