leonardcohenforum.com

I'm 21 and have been listening to Leonard Cohen for about two years, since I first heard the Essentiel Leonard Cohen. I spend most of my pre-teens listening to heavy metal, but at the age of 14 I 'discovered' Nick Cave through my brother and through Cave I was introduced to other artists, such as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Marianne Faithful, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and of course Leonard Cohen.

Leonard's music, his words and the spirit and atmosphere of the songs themselves, speaks to me in a way that no other artist has ever done. I've always enjoyed writing and have done so for just about as long as I can remember, though to quote Cohen himself: "I thought I could write, but I was never really sure."
I don't know if I'll get anything published or if it's really that important. I don't starve, so mainly I just write because it feels like it's the right thing to do.
It seems to me that legends such as Mr. Cohen goes beyond time, his music lives in a realm of its own. Though influenced, as I believe it is, it does not attach itself to a certain genre, year or agenda. It's like a lone 'bird on a wire' sitting on some desolate highway far away from the great dark city that is our world.

Here are two poems that I've written some time ago. The first was written quite recently and the second I think was about a year ago. I honestly don't know if they are any good or just another lousy poet "trying to sound like Charles Manson". They are slightly inspired by songs such as If It Be Your Will, Lady Midnight and Light as the Breeze, which I believe are some of Cohen's greatest songs, lyrically as well as musically. Anyway, here goes.

Lady of Sorrows

We were lost in the desert
we could not find our way home
there was no one left to help us
we were dying and we were on our own

And the road that lay before us
Lord it was broken and it was torn
many were the sorrows
that rose with the break of dawn

So I knelt by the waters
and I prayed to someone true
someone greater than all of us
who would make us live anew

And from the shade of tomorrow
where are a thousand widows cry
came the Lady of Sorrows
all covered in light

By the still waters
we softly wandered by
her skin as pale as marble
her dark emerald eyes

As the darkness comes falling
and the waters turn to wine
I can still hear her calling
in this broken heart of mine


I Want to Be Born with You

Lord I have walked and walked
across streets filled with fire
walked amongst man and beast alike
suppressed my deepest desires

When they spoke out against You
and spat upon your name
I have risen to defend You
I have sought no gain

But I am tired, Lord, I am cold
the nights are so long and lone
the lights of the city hurts my eye
I have lost my only home

I’m afraid I might tell a lie
I’m afraid there is no truth
that You are far greater than I
and that I am nothing to You

But Lord I owe You my life
and I give it to You
my soul is open wide
please forgive the things I do

Don’t leave me behind
in this dark and sinful room
I want to turn the tide
I want to be born with You

Fascinating

William wrote:Fascinating

EuchridEucrow ignore the troll, William. He started out pretending to be an urbane old buffer, but he is now playing an alcoholic twat and he hasn't even bothered to change his troll name. How lazy is that!

thanks for posting


Sue

.

Sideways wrote:

William wrote:Fascinating

EuchridEucrow ignore the troll, William. He started out pretending to be an urbane old buffer, but he is now playing an alcoholic twat and he hasn't even bothered to change his troll name. How lazy is that!

thanks for posting


Sue

That is bad!

Though to be honest, I didn't think he was sarcastic. And William such a nice name...

Hi Minna and thanks a lot for your comments. It’s been well over five years since my last heavy metal days and it doesn’t really speak to me anymore. There are some great bands out there though, no doubt about that. “Timelessly cool” seems to describe Mr. Cohen quite well, sadly it seems that you’ll often have to dig up older artists to find anyone who’d fit that description or perhaps it merely takes time for someone to become timelessly cool, I don’t know. But Leonard Cohen really is a great artist and every time I listen to his music, I feel blessed, redeemed, humiliated and terrified, I suppose we all do so at some point and more so, it’s just great art that one can appreciate in its own way. Although I’m sure you’ll know more about that than me. Having listened to him for two years I feel like I’ve already come a looooooooong way. I can’t even begin to suspect how it’d be to do so for ten or more years or for how long you’ve listened to him. Sigh… Why wasn’t one born earlier…

As you’ve probably noticed, English is not my primary language either, so sorry for any grammatical errors. When writing my poems, it’s often about expressing a certain feeling and the first end result is usually not too far off from the last. If I’m not satisfied with the poem, I’ll rather delete all of it and start over - I usually don’t try to improve the poem itself, at least not too much.
It’s funny that you should pick that line about anew, ‘cause writing the poem, I actually stopped at that line for quite some time, being unable to finish it. It just didn't sound right, I think, didn't come natural or at least not in the way that I’d hoped for the poem to be, but yeah I placed it there for it to rhyme, thinking I’d find a better replacement in time, just never got around to do it. Yes, I meant where a thousand widows cry, although where are a thousand widows’ cry is not bad. Where shall the poor women finally find rest.

Lady of Sorrows is probably a bit more artificial than the second and more about telling a neat little tale, whereas the other poem is more about a single feeling of dread and torment, mourning ones insignificance while cursing ones selfishness and then eventually surrendering all of it to the will of something (or someone) greater.
The word ‘amongst’ is an old habit of mine, though it sounds rather old and is probably misplaced in a lot of the poems. And actually didn’t notice the time trouble of the second verse of I Want to Be Born with You , even though it definitely sounds way better using rose instead of risen. Would have some trouble replacing lone with lonely in the third verse though. And yes, it is "the lights of the city hurt my eye", don’t know why I sometimes place an extra “s” on some words. Maybe it’s for the flow…

The idea of being born WITH Him is an essential part of the poem. I believe it brings a certain style to the poem, a red tread (do they say that in English?) and more or less keeps the whole poem together. It’s not a very important line, the poem could probably survive without it and still, it wouldn’t feel right to change it. In the poem, the relationship with the You is very intimate and not based upon servitude, sacrifice or faith alone, but merely a profound agreement on ones presence and insignificance in the great scheme of things. To be born WITH Him, is really a rebirth to a higher level of existence and the poem is a longing to see the truth about the world and about yourself, no matter how cruel or terrible it may be.
Although that doesn’t go nowhere to explain what I really wanted to say. :S

But thanks again for your comments and pointing out the grammatical errors. I’m quite surprised at the amount of errors, just shows that I’ve still to learn on that part, I guess.

.

Sideways/Sue
I was greatly taken aback by your post above.
The question of my sobriety is my own - I outlined elsewhere here that I have not touched alcohol in many, many years, nor do I intend to return to its dangers. But that is entirely my concern and your suggestion thgat I was or was not pretending to have "fallen off the wagon" is most unfair.
My understanding of "troll" as used here is not what I consider a fair description of myself.
Indeed, Sue, why would you not do as I do and use your own name?
I admit I have, as have others, thrown in the odd wind-up, as the Americans say. But nothing so personal as your remarks above which I find unworthy.
William

William wrote:Sideways/Sue
I was greatly taken aback by your post above.
The question of my sobriety is my own - I outlined elsewhere here that I have not touched alcohol in many, many years, nor do I intend to return to its dangers. But that is entirely my concern and your suggestion thgat I was or was not pretending to have "fallen off the wagon" is most unfair.
My understanding of "troll" as used here is not what I consider a fair description of myself.
Indeed, Sue, why would you not do as I do and use your own name?
I admit I have, as have others, thrown in the odd wind-up, as the Americans say. But nothing so personal as your remarks above which I find unworthy.
William

Hic!

Sideways Sue
Isn't it wonderful that you can bestow your sarcasm from the great heights of moral self-righteousness.
Heaven forbid that you should ever find yourself in a state less than your current perfection.

Heaven spare us from Susie-come-lately's. You have your tickets, that must make you happy.

Before you go, here's one for your collection:
"The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation."
Charles Spurgeon

From the Valley of humanity I send you greetings,
William