hope

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Geoffrey
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hope

Post by Geoffrey »

"our hope is in the distant seed." - leonard cohen
hope.jpg
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LisaLCFan
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Re: hope

Post by LisaLCFan »

Wonderful picture! Your ability to capture Leonard's spirit and to convey such depth of emotion in his eyes and face is a remarkable gift. Thanks for sharing it with us!
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Geoffrey
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Re: hope

Post by Geoffrey »

LisaLCFan wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 8:39 pm Wonderful picture! Your ability to capture Leonard's spirit and to convey such depth of emotion in his eyes and face is a remarkable gift. Thanks for sharing it with us!
thank you, lisa ( :oops: ). wish i could view these things with your eyes. here is the one before.
hope.jpg
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B4real
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Re: hope

Post by B4real »

Hi Geoffrey,
I love that line of Leonard’s “our hope (lies) is in the distant seed”. I know you love it too from years ago and just in case you still haven’t found where he wrote it, it’s in psalm 18 from Book of Mercy. An excerpt follows:
“We drink coffee, and some kind of powerful fruit brandy, and we hope that the grandchildren will return to us. Our hope is in the distant seed.”
I remember it because I quoted the first four sentences from the next one, psalm 19 just after Leonard died as part of my Christmas tribute message.
“You let me sing, you lifted me up, you gave my soul a beam to travel on. You folded your distance back into my heart. You drew the tears back to my eyes. You hid me in the mountain of your word.”
The feeling in the first portrait is most palpable. As always, less is more :) Well done!
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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Geoffrey
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Re: hope

Post by Geoffrey »

hello b4real. i was convinced the sentence was leonard's, but for years could not find from where it originated. at times i imagined it was simply imagined, as has happened now and again, along with the 'how soon is now' question that will always orbit a restless conscience. then one evening, as i sat near the harbour watching a golden sun slowly sink like a galleon into the sea, i remembered it was from 'book of mercy', and my spirit rejoiced. the mystery was solved - and a great peace descended upon my being.
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B4real
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Re: hope

Post by B4real »

Yes Geoffrey, the mind can unexpectedly provide an answer to a question that has been consciously elusive for years when the environment is conducive. Actually, that particular scene you speak of is similar to what I see every day from my house and I love watching the white sails of the boats gliding over to the islands become different shades of sunset when night comes on. I really should spend more time appreciating it – who knows what might come to light ;-)

Another thing, (forgive me Leonard) I think I prefer the way you have written that line, “Our hope lies in the distant seed” over the years and I thought you had done so here too but I can see no evidence of an edit! Using “lies” instead of “is” gives me a vision of a seed lying in wait dormant for the time it may germinate. Here “hope” depends or rests on the seed’s situation – there’s room for speculation - even on the other meaning of "lies" ;-) The “is” simply states the fact, “hope is” and that’s probably what Leonard wanted but it’s interesting to think about it.
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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Geoffrey
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Re: hope

Post by Geoffrey »

>I really should spend more time appreciating it - who knows what might come to light ;-)

dear b4real:
good to hear from you. all of us should probably spend more time appreciating the art that nature hangs in front of us. the fast-forward button can become stuck, cripples rushed in a wheelchair through the louvre, everything seems so damned ephemeral. yet once in a while, almost by accident, a tiny light lassoes our attention, gives us a ticket into one of the frames - and the flickering candle ignites a spectacular firework display. such is inspiration, along with accident and coincidence, creativity's vital ingredients.

>The "is" simply states the fact, "hope is" and that's probably what Leonard wanted but it's interesting to think about it.

well, leonard would certainly have written 'lies' instead of 'is' had he been less unfocused, yet his mind was nevertheless splashing water onto the germ of an original thought. time will never run out of an enlightened sentence; we can break our nails scratching on its surface, ruin our eyes by staring at its brightness, but it will just become better with age - like denim.
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