Lessness

A Story by SAMUEL BECKETT (1970)

Ruins true refuge long l st to! r"s !#i$# so % ny f lse ti%e out of %in"& All si"es en"lessness e rt# s'y s one no soun" no stir& (rey f $e t!o ) le blue little bo"y #e rt be ting only u) rig#t& Bl $'e" out f llen o)en four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s true refuge issueless& S$ ttere" ruins s %e grey s t#e s n" s# grey true refuge& +our s,u re ll lig#t s#eer !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& -e*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no soun" fig%ent t#e ) ssing lig#t& -o soun" no stir s# grey s'y %irrore" e rt# %irrore" s'y& -e*er but t#is $# ngelessness "re % t#e ) ssing #our& .e !ill $urse (o" g in s in t#e blesse" " ys f $e to t#e o)en s'y t#e ) ssing "eluge& Little bo"y grey f $e fe tures slit n" little #oles t!o ) le blue& Bl n' %in"& +ig%ent lig#t ne*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no soun"& Bl n' )l nes tou$# $lose s#eer !#ite ll gone fro% %in"& Little bo"y s# grey lo$'e" rigi" #e rt be ting f $e to en"lessness& /n #i% !ill r in g in s in t#e blesse" " ys of blue t#e ) ssing $lou"& +our s,u re true refuge long l st four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s no soun"& (rey s'y no $lou" no soun" no stir e rt# s# grey s n"& Little bo"y s %e grey s t#e e rt# s'y ruins only u)rig#t& As# grey ll si"es e rt# s'y s one ll si"es en"lessness& .e !ill stir in t#e s n" t#ere !ill be stir in t#e s'y t#e ir t#e s n"& -e*er but in "re % t#e # ))y "re % only one ti%e to ser*e& Little bo"y little blo$' #e rt be ting s# grey only u)rig#t& E rt# s'y s one ll si"es en"lessness little bo"y only u)rig#t& 0n t#e s n" no #ol" one ste) %ore in t#e en"lessness #e !ill % 'e it& -o soun" not bre t# s %e grey ll si"es e rt# s'y bo"y ruins& Slo! bl $' !it# ruin true refuge four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s no soun"& Legs single blo$' r%s f st to si"es little bo"y f $e to en"lessness& -e*er but in * nis#e" "re % t#e ) ssing #our long s#ort& /nly u)rig#t little bo"y grey s%oot# no relief fe! #oles& /ne ste) in t#e ruins in t#e s n" on #is b $' in t#e en"lessness #e !ill % 'e it& -e*er but "re % t#e " ys n" nig#ts % "e of "re %s of ot#er nig#ts better " ys& .e !ill li*e g in t#e1 s) $e of ste) it !ill be " y n" nig#t )l nes s#eer !#ite eye $ l% long l st ll gone fro% g in o*er #i% t#e en"lessness& 0n four s)lit sun"er o*er b $'! r"s true refuge issueless s$ ttere" ruins& Little bo"y little blo$' genit ls o*errun rse single blo$' grey $r $' o*errun& True refuge long l st issueless s$ ttere" "o!n four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s no soun"& All si"es en"lessness e rt# s'y s one no stir not

bre t#& Bl n' )l nes s#eer !#ite $ l% eye lig#t of re son ll gone fro% %in"& S$ ttere" ruins s# grey ll si"es true refuge long l st issueless& As# grey little bo"y only u)rig#t #e rt be ting f $e to en"lessness& /l" lo*e ne! lo*e s in t#e blesse" " ys un# ))iness !ill reign g in& E rt# s n" s %e grey s t#e ir s'y ruins bo"y fine s# grey s n"& Lig#t refuge s#eer !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& +l tness en"less little bo"y only u)rig#t s %e grey ll si"es e rt# s'y bo"y ruins& + $e to !#ite $ l% tou$# $lose eye $ l% long l st ll gone fro% %in"& /ne ste) %ore one lone ll lone in t#e s n" no #ol" #e !ill % 'e it& Bl $'e" out f llen o)en true refuge issueless to! r"s !#i$# so % ny f lse ti%e out of %in"& -e*er but silen$e su$# t# t in i% gin tion t#is !il" l ug#ter t#ese $ries& .e " t#roug# $ l% eye ll lig#t !#ite $ l% ll gone fro% %in"& +ig%ent " !n "is)eller of fig%ents n" t#e ot#er $ lle" "us'& .e !ill go on #is b $' f $e to t#e s'y o)en g in o*er #i% t#e ruins t#e s n" t#e en"lessness& (rey ir ti%eless e rt# s'y s one s %e grey s t#e ruins fl tness en"less& 0t !ill be " y n" nig#t g in o*er #i% t#e en"lessness t#e ir #e rt !ill be t g in& True refuge long l st s$ ttere" ruins s %e grey s t#e s n"& 22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 + $e to $ l% eye tou$# $lose ll $ l% ll !#ite ll gone fro% %in"& -e*er but i% gine" t#e blue in !il" i% gining t#e blue $eleste of )oesy& Little *oi" %ig#ty lig#t four s,u re ll !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& -e*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no stir not bre t#& .e rt be ting little bo"y only u)rig#t grey f $e fe tures o*errun t!o ) le blue& Lig#t !#ite tou$# $lose #e " t#roug# $ l% eye lig#t of re son ll gone fro% %in"& Little bo"y s %e grey s t#e e rt# s'y ruins only u)rig#t& -o soun" not bre t# s %e grey ll si"es e rt# s'y bo"y ruins& Bl $'e" out f llen o)en four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s true refuge issueless& -o soun" no stir s# grey s'y %irrore" e rt# %irrore" s'y& (rey ir ti%eless e rt# s'y s one s %e grey s t#e ruins fl tness en"less& 0n t#e s n" no #ol" one ste) %ore in t#e en"lessness #e !ill % 'e it& 0t !ill be " y n" nig#t g in o*er #i% t#e en"lessness t#e ir #e rt !ill be t g in& +ig%ent lig#t ne*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no soun"& All si"es en"lessness e rt# s'y s one no stir not bre t#& /n #i% !ill r in g in s in t#e blesse" " ys of blue t#e ) ssing $lou"& (rey s'y no $lou" no soun" no stir e rt# s# grey s n"& Little *oi" %ig#ty lig#t four s,u re ll !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& +l tness en"less little bo"y only u)rig#t s %e grey ll si"es e rt# s'y bo"y ruins& S$ ttere" ruins s %e grey s t#e s n" s# grey true refuge& +our s,u re true refuge long l st four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s no

soun"& -e*er but t#is $# ngelessness "re % t#e ) ssing #our& -e*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no soun" fig%ent t#e ) ssing lig#t& 0n four s)lit sun"er o*er b $'! r"s true refuge issueless s$ ttere" ruins& .e !ill li*e g in t#e s) $e of ste) it !ill be " y n" nig#t g in o*er #i% t#e en"lessness& + $e to !#ite $ l% tou$# $lose eye $ l% long l st ll gone fro% %in"& (rey f $e t!o ) le blue little bo"y #e rt be ting only u)rig#t& .e !ill go on #is b $' f $e to t#e s'y o)en g in o*er #i% t#e ruins t#e s n" t#e en"lessness& E rt# s n" s %e grey s t#e ir s'y ruins bo"y fine s# grey s n"& Bl n' )l nes tou$# $lose s#eer !#ite ll gone fro% %in"& .e rt be ting little bo"y only u)rig#t grey f $e fe tures o*errun t!o ) le blue& /nly u)rig#t little bo"y grey s%oot# no relief fe! #oles& -e*er but "re % t#e " ys n" nig#ts % "e of "re %s of ot#er nig#ts better " ys& .e !ill stir in t#e s n" t#ere !ill be stir in t#e s'y t#e ir t#e s n"& /ne ste) in t#e ruins in t#e s n" on #is b $' in t#e en"lessness #e !ill % 'e it& -e*er but silen$e su$# t# t in i% gin tion t#is !il" l ug#ter t#ese $ries& True refuge long l st s$ ttere" ruins s %e grey s t#e s n"s& -e*er ! s but grey ir ti%eless no stir not bre t#& Bl n' )l nes s#eer !#ite $ l% eye lig#t of re son ll gone fro% %in"& -e*er but in * nis#e" "re % t#e ) ssing #our long s#ort& +our s,u re ll lig#t s#eer !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& Bl $'e" out f llen o)en true refuge issueless to! r"s !#i$# so % ny f lse ti%e out of %in"& .e " t#roug# $ l% eye ll lig#t !#ite $ l% ll gone fro% %in"& /l" lo*e ne! lo*e s in t#e blesse" " ys un# ))iness !ill reign g in& As# grey ll si"es e rt# s'y s one ll si"es en"lessness& S$ ttere" ruins s# grey ll si"es true refuge long l st issueless& -e*er but in "re % t#e # ))y "re % only one ti%e to ser*e& Little bo"y grey f $e fe tures slit n" little #oles t!o ) le blue& Ruins true refuge long l st to! r"s !#i$# so % ny f lse ti%e out of %in"& -e*er but i% gine" t#e blue in !il" i% gining t#e blue $eleste of )oesy& Lig#t !#ite tou$# $lose #e " t#roug# $ l% eye lig#t of re son ll gone fro% %in"& Slo! bl $' !it# ruin true refuge four ! lls o*er b $'! r"s no soun"& E rt# s'y s one ll si"es en"lessness little bo"y only u)rig#t& /ne ste) %ore one lone ll lone in t#e s n" no #ol" #e !ill % 'e it& As# grey little bo"y only u)rig#t #e rt be ting f $e to en"lessness& Lig#t refuge s#eer !#ite bl n' )l nes ll gone fro% %in"& All si"es en"lessness e rt# s'y s one no soun" no stir& Legs single blo$' r%s f st to si"es little bo"y f $e to en"lessness& True refuge long l st issueless s$ ttere" b $'! r"s no soun"& Bl n' "o!n four ! lls o*er )l nes s#eer !#ite eye $ l% long l st ll gone fro% %in"& .e !ill $urse (o" g in s in t#e blesse" " ys f $e to t#e o)en s'y t#e

) ssing "eluge& + $e to $ l% eye tou$# $lose ll $ l% ll !#ite ll gone fro% %in"& Little bo"y little blo$' #e rt be ting s# grey only u)rig#t& Little bo"y s# grey lo$'e" rigi" #e rt be ting f $e to en"lessness& Little bo"y little blo$' genit ls o*errun rse single blo$' grey $r $' o*errun& +ig%ent " !n "is)eller of fig%ents n" t#e ot#er $ lle" "us'&