A Collaboration on Leonard Cohen: The People's Poetry

[carolynbhealy]

A Collaboration on Leonard Cohen:
The People’s Poetry of amazon.com*

We, your people, would like a word.
For all the years we’ve listened to you,
Awakening with your voice in our heads,
It’s only fair that you take a seat
And listen a moment to us.

Because we want to be like you,
Or because we already are,
Driven to note our points of view,
We’re moved to virtually gather,
To compose reviews of you.

Just listen to what happens
To us, your grateful heirs,
When you open up our poets’ chests.
We sing too in our way.
Here is what we say:

That Voice, tempered with gravel,
Croaky and content,
Rare, robust and sweet,
Reports from the grave.
A creamy smooth and gloomy whisper,
Scotch-drenched,
Creepily resonant,
Rings deep and broken
Like a clock winding down,
Forgiving and loving in the end.

The Mood an autumn of fear,
Cool grey emotion and soothing tenderness;
A fine echo,
Poetic fire reminds that with hope desperation also comes
And yields dirges in the vein of open wrists and blood dribbling.
Depressed optimism ensues.

You Speak of loneliness, broken romance,
Addiction and silent prayers for grace.
In your evocative-provocative world-of-words
That only a man who has been to the edges and back
Can craft.

You Show us tormented souls
In the depths
Of the incomprehensible and unknowable;
Vignettes portrayed in chiaroscuro.
Bareboned spirituals
Encompass the silence of those of us
Without a personal god.

Groove laden poetry married to the sound
Reveals what happens when you see things
Through the eyes of love,
Uplifting, haunting, moving
From sublime absolute heartbreak
To joy profoundly wrapped in paradox
Told with cynical, world-weary humor, thank god,
From a beautifully jaundiced eye.

As We Slip into your masterpiece
We receive.
The night train returns and it’s warm inside
And takes us somewhere else.
A deep and mysterious impact
Finds things around us we never noticed before,
Comfort in dark times, soul massage.
We shiver when we listen,
To a chill like never before.
How did you know? Were you watching us?

We Celebrate our constant and steadfast companion
Who preaches songs we all need to hear,
Who’s been put on earth to guide us all
Like a cherished poet we hold close for emergencies,
Who we want to live until one hundred and ten, at least.
You take us down the back roads of your life
And into the crossroads of ours.

We revel in the contagion
That you supply.
Breathe in our phrases;
We hope they’ll stay with you.
We’ll get back to listening.
Got anything new?


*All comments gathered 6-30-09 from amazon.com reviews of “10 New Songs.” See amazon.com for who wrote what.

Carolyn B. Healy
http://www.writeimpressions.blogspot.com
http://www.carolynbhealy.com

[imaginary friend]

Hi Carolyn,

I really like your concept; people are so inspired by Leonard's words, that in striving to adequately express the beauty of his work, we use thoughtful and sometimes poetic language ourselves – thus 'raising the bar' of our own ability, and becoming – a tiny bit – more like him.

Nice idea!

[lizzytysh]

Good heavens, Carolyn. As I read your collaboration, and truly that, I kept thinking "That is how I want to be able to write!" I didn't realize until you explained how literally you meant that word... and how beautifully, meaningfully, and seamlessly you interwove it all.

Thank you for such an incredible contribution . Mega greetings and a fully heartfelt welcome to you upon your entry here !


~ Lizzy