Waiting for Marianne

I have lost a telephone

with your smell in it

I am living beside the radio

all the stations at once

but I pick out a Polish lullaby

I pick it out of the static

it fades I wait I keep the beat

it comes back almost alseep

Did you take the telephone

knowing I'd sniff it immoderately

maybe heat up the plastic

to get all the crumbs of your breath

and if you won't come back

how will you phone to say

you won't come back

so that I could at least argue

L.Cohen from "Flowers for Hitler"

Millennium

This could be my little

book about love

if I wrote it--

but my good demon said:

'Lay off documents!

'Everybody was watching me

burn my books--

I swung my liberty torch

happy as a gestapo brute;

the only thing I wanted to save

was a scar

a burn or two--

but my good demon said:

'Lay off documents!

The fire's not important!

'The pile was safely blazing.

I went home to take a bath.

I phoned my grandmother.

She is suffering from arthritis.

'Keep well,' I said, 'don't mind the pain.

''You neither,' she said.

Hours later I wondered

did she mean

don't mind my pain

or don't mind her pain?

Whereupon my good demon said:

'Is that all you can do?'

Well was it?

Was it all I could do?

There was the old lady

eating alone, thinking about

Prince Albert, Flanders Field,Kishenev,

her fingers too sore for TV knobs;

but how could I get there ?

The books were gone my address lists--

My good demon said again:

'Lay off documents!

You know how to get there!

' And suddenly I did!

I remembered it from memory!

I found her pouring over the royal family tree,

'Grandma,' I almost said, 'you've got it upside down--

''Take a look,' she said,

'it only goes to George V.'

'That's far enough you sweet old blood!'

'You're right!'

she sang and burned the London Illustrated Souvenir

I did not understand the day

it was till I looked outside

and saw a fire in every window

on the street and crowds of humans

crazy to talk and cats and dogs

and birds smiling at each other!

L.Cohen from Flowers for Hitler

Mission

I've worked at my work
I've slept at my sleep
I've died at my death
And now I can leave
Leave what is needed
And leave what is full
Need in the Spirit
And need in the Hole
Beloved, I'm yours
As I've always been
From marrow to pore
From longing to skin
Now that my mission
Has come to its end:
Pray I'm forgiven
The life that I've led
The Body I chased
It chased me as well
My longing's a place
My dying a sail


L.Cohen from Book of Longing

Anthem

Anthem

The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.

Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove

She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government --
signs for all to see.

I can't run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up
a thundercloudand
they're going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring ...

You can add up the parts
but you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

L.Cohen

Came So Far For Beauty

Came So Far For Beauty

I came so far for beauty left

so much behind

My patience and my family

My masterpiece unsigned

I thought I'd be rewarded

For such a lonely choice

And surely she would answer

To such a very hopeless voice

I practiced all my sainthood

I gave to one and all

But the rumours of my virtue

They moved her not at all

I changed my style to silver

I changed my clothed to black

And where I would surrender

Now I would attack I stormed the old casino

For the money and the flesh

And I myself decided

What was rotten and what was fresh

And men to do my bidding

And broken bones to teach

The value of my pardon

The shadow of my reach

But no, I could not touch her
With such a heavy hand

Her star beyond my order

Her nakedness unmanned

I came so far for beauty

I left so much behind

My patience and my family

My masterpiece unsigned

L. Cohen & J. Lissauer