Gypsy Boy
(Ode to Leonard Cohen)
"Leonard Cohen is dead!" I heard them say
Oh, I pray they got it wrong
I hear his voice soft yet clear
Aloft in the 'Tower of Song'
A man of peace, made love not war,
But never a shrinking violet
Humble to the very last
Oh, Leonard, do not leave us yet!
You gave us the unbridled truth
From bedroom to altar
Made it your life's devotion
Seldom did you falter
Some saw just 'A Ladies' Man'
Unadulterated lust
Or the suicidal loner
Languishing in the dust
The Demons of Depression
Too often cast their shroud
But your tireless work ethic
Refused to be cowed
Poetry it seemed
Seeped through your veins
Made it look so easy
By taking great pains
Morning, noon, and night
Honing draft after draft
Even Dylan praised aloud
Your mastery of craft
You loved hidden beauty
Adored the feminine
Paid homage to The Muses
Bowed to The Divine
From Montreal to Hydra
From Talmud to Buddhist Zen
From high art to soulfulness
Through guitar and through pen
You sought to find the true self
Your Voice from the Unknown
Like some monk disrobing
Down to marrow and bone
"Like a drunk in a midnight choir"
Bared your soul without a fuss
Caring for "the crack in everything"
Stumbling along with the rest of us
No emotion too strong or raw
To scare you from your task
To caress our every frailty
To peel off every mask
Made love with words, so eloquent
In your sultry baritone
Raised them to a higher plain
In your reverential tone
Called yourself "a chained parrot"
Tethered with stage fright
Oh how the Bird of Song now soars
From Gehenna to exalted height
From ballads to sacred hymns
You grew from score to score
Gypsy, recluse, philosopher,
Artist to the very core
Can we say you were Jewish?
('Though all labels seem so small)
Seeking the disassembled God
How your Voice became The Call
Dance us dizzy, dance us clear
"Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin"
Your dance - the holy sacrament
You pour out from within
"While the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud"
You whisper benedictions
To the common crowd
Now as your last hurrah
In the light of your menorah
Still humble and gracious
Gently tipping your fedora
I see you in sepia tones
Or muted shades of gray
Body, mind and spirit
In harmony on The Way
Oh, the angels are in luck tonight
Let them ring the Buddha's Gong
The Artist is finally home
Aloft in the 'Tower of Song'
So "dance me to the end of love"
With your words and songs sublime
Seduce me with your poet's heart
And dance me to the 'End of Time'
I see you hover in the Tower
The Muse is shining through ya
You soothe our hearts with reverence
As you gift us 'Hallelujah'
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!"
padraic slater
copyright of padraic (Patrick) slater
(Except lines in quotation marks excerpted from Leonard Cohen songs)
November 2016
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Gypsy Boy (Ode to Leonard Cohen)
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Re: Gypsy Boy (Odour of Leonard Cohen)
I disagree
SOME PEOPLE NEVER GO CRAZY.
WHAT TRULY HORRIBLE LIVES
THEY MUST LEAD
WHAT TRULY HORRIBLE LIVES
THEY MUST LEAD