Monday, November 1, 2010

Days of Kindness read by Leonard Cohen



Days of Kindness
       ~by Leonard Cohen
Greece is a good place
to look at the moon, isn't it
You can read by moonlight
You can read on the terrace
You can see a face
as you saw it when you were young
There was good light then
oil lamps and candles
and those little flames
that floated on a cork in olive oil
What I loved in my old life
I haven't forgotten
It lives in my spine
Marianne and the child
The days of kindness
It rises in my spine
and it manifests as tears
I pray that loving memory
exists for them too
the precious ones I overthrew
for an education in the world


Moon Road by Allen Antonello




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11 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

I was about to rave on and on about how Cohen's writings always astound me and then I saw that photo and now I am speechless and all I want to do is take that road that leads to the moon. Gorgeous!
xoxo

secretfragileskies said...

this:

I pray that loving memory
exists for them too
the precious ones I overthrew
for an education in the world

oh that leonard! beautiful post.

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

I have sooo wanted to visit Greece since I minored in Philosophy and Rhetoric in college...

Maybe one day...(sigh).......

Cat Chat http://opcatchat.blogspot.com

Looking to the Stars said...

Wow, this was beautiful!!! thanks for sharing :)

Candice Michele said...

wonderful takes me to another world for a few moments

Lydia said...

la Belette Rouge~ His writing always astounds me, too, and I love reading new (to me) works by him. As with his songs, I find certain poems pieces I must live in for a time...
The photographer noted at imagekind that he took this image in Nevada. It makes me homesick beyond belief for my home state (or the open roads in eastern Oregon).

secret, fragile skies~ I kept repeating those lines to myself today because they are so so so way beyond so-so!

Caren~ Your minor sounds like a great one, and those studies sure seem deserving of a trip to Greece to me! I hope it happens for you.

Looking to the Stars~ My pleasure, most definitely. :)

Frosty Duncan~ Your comment is a sweet way of acknowledging the power of this poem.

Rhiannon said...

I love Leonard Cohen so much..such a deep spirit and a talent of pouring out the thoughts of regrets and lost love..along with his political honesty..I love his talking poems on youtube and his poem books he wrote..and also his music..he is indeed a true poetic musician.

It all comes straight from his heart..the good and the bad..the "Real" and the "Unjust"...

Thank you so much for this post and video...as he remembered the good memories in thought and yet regret for the loss of losing it to something he may ponder his choice of the road he took..that's what I always like about Leonard..his total honesty and owning his own personal regrets.

Hot day today but cooling again tomorrow. I love the cool and cold weather better.

My sister now has a new BF as I lost mine around the same time she found "her"..we laugh about it. I like him and we met him together at the same time. I think he's a good guy. Wish there were more like him around. My sister deserves some happiness..and so do I...in time in time..

What I just wrote above got me thinking about Leonard's fun song "I'm you man"...I just love to play that one and smile..it's fun to kind of sing to and dance around too...I'm still waiting "for my man"..ooh now that is a Velvet Underground song with Lou Reed..now how did I get to thinking of that song..oh funnyY

Sorry, I must be losing it..it's been a busy day and will be a busy week.

Take care and hope the holidays for you and your hubby are filled with joy...and hope your hubby gets to keep his job and this is slowing working out...I think about you both and hope things will be okay...waiting for the results of election tomorrow night..scary but in the end Lydia, if the GOP win out of anger and there fear mongering..it's only for short gain and I do think people will learn a lot about if they are there for us Americans or not..and might look back and think "I'll take Obama any day over that scary mean cooperate rich man "John Boehner"...oh they say the lessons keep coming until we learn..when will we?..sigh..I see light at the end of the tunnel after the lesson come the next two years of "nothing" being done..

Rambling here but sure you get my meaning.

I always still have hope..lessons are hard to get and take some time of "the wake up call".

Love,

Rhi

Lydia said...

Rhi~ As always-great to have a message from you. Your comment came in late last night, after which I longed to hear/read a bit more of Leonard Cohen. When I googled his name, up popped "Leonard Cohen Portland" - and I figured it must be an old, old piece of info but decided I'd better check it out. I am so glad I did, because he will perform one night, Dec. 8, in Portland at the end of his tour (Las Vegas wraps it up). There had been an extended pre-sale in September that I completely missed, so all the best seats are long gone. I was surprised and so excited to find two tickets at this late stage, not great seats but it is a smaller venue so we will be fine. Besides, only the cheapest tickets remained for sale so I was not tempted to overspend! I cannot believe I will actually see him in person. I told Michael it is all I want for Christmas!

Happy for your sis, keeping a good thought for your future too. :) Thank you for your continued good wishes about my husband's job. It is touch-and-go, and much weighs on the results of today's elections.....

Judy Clem said...

Very beautiful!

Lydia said...

Judy Clem~ Yes! His work continues to amaze me. And the photographer? I would like to have some of his work on my wall. :)

Barbara/myth maker said...

I love Cohen. Great to hear him read. Thanks for posting this.

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