👌
“I let my heart get frozen
To keep away the rot
My father says I'm #chosen
My mother says I'm not”
from “Almost Like the Blues”
#QuotsyMay21
“I let my heart get frozen
To keep away the rot
My father says I'm #chosen
My mother says I'm not”
from “Almost Like the Blues”
#QuotsyMay21
It was wonderful to spend some more time in Leonard Cohen‘s head. I loved his poetry and the freeform insight into his mind from the pictures of his notebooks at the end. Religion was a big part of this writing, Christian and jewish, and I liked looking at how he pieced together his faith and heritage.
O apple of the world
We weren‘t married at the surface
We were married at the core
I cant take it anymore
surely there must be
a limit for the rich
and a hope unto the poor
I can‘t take it anymore
and the lies that they tell
about G-d
as if they owned the store
I can‘t take it anymore
Leonard Cohen my favourite prophet, he always knows what up.
I wish that I was enjoying this, but I‘m not feelin‘ it. It‘s possible that I‘m not being fair. His poetry flows like radio music. It feels like he is writing as a songwriter instead of as a poet whose poetry could shine inside a song lyric. I dare not say this because this man gave us the words to “Hallelujah,” a song that is breathtaking and beautiful. I‘m gonna stick this out to the end as a thank you to Leonard Cohen for that song.
"Deprived of Sahara's company
I looked around the room
and spied her purse
at the foot of the chair
I went through every item
in a little notebook
written with an eyebrow pencil
I found the very poem
Which you are reading now-
the writing smudged
but word for word
"Straighten up, little warrior" it ended
"It's not as though you
wasted your life
by loving me"
Grateful
The huge mauve jacaranda tree
down the street on South Tremaine
in full bloom
two stories high
It made me so happy
[…]
I am so grateful
to my new antidepressant
( @ReadingEnvy This jacaranda is for you. )
I thought I should see it through, particularly because it‘s an ARC, but I have no desire to keep going. I have other books of poetry waiting for me that I‘d prefer to devote my time to.
His poems are well-written. But I enjoy poetry that makes me think, hits a nerve, provokes emotion, or has relatable content. I haven‘t found any of that in here and I‘m bored. I think this would be wholeheartedly enjoyed by genuine fans. I am not that person.
It‘s easy to see
that a good woman‘s love
is something that you never had
so I‘m gonna take pity on the boy tonight
I‘m gonna do you a favour gonna do it right
I‘m gonna see that you‘re fed
I‘m gonna put you to bed
& then I‘m gonna drive you mad
5🌟/5
This book is so lovely! Cohen is one of my favorites! His poetry is unlike any other. It is so captivating. This man was a true wordsmith. This book contains his final poems and previously unpublished works before he passed. Included are selections from his notebooks that he kept throughout his life, as well as illustrations, prose, and lyrics. If you havent read any of his work before he's a must!
#leonardcohen #bookreview #bookblogger
1. Poetry
2. Romance
3. YA
#ConvinceMeToReadTheTaggedBook #tbr #SundayFunday
This book gathers together previously unpublished notes, speeches, sketches (self-portraits) and potential lyrics of the late Leonard Cohen. Obviously many of these pieces are incomplete, ideas rather than works. Several of Cohen's classic themes appear, especially romance as a kind of war. Must read for Cohen fans, maybe not the place to start for newcomers.
[I received an advanced e-galley of this from #Netgalley. The book is due out Oct 2.]