(Elegy for Leonard Cohen)
The end came
with a fall in the night:
sudden, unexpected,
peaceful.
Busy growing frail,
working diligently,
he felt the window
getting narrower.
His working pace was slow,
polishing for many years.
A new set of tracks
the morning he died:
spiritual wisdom;
dark, self-effacing wit.
( ... after the event,
not to know ... )
NaPoWriMo 2025, Day Twenty-Nine.
Prompt: to write a poem that takes its inspiration from the life of a musician, poet, or other artist. This is a found poem, in the form of an erasure of the article, 'For Leonard Cohen, the End Came With a Fall in the Night' by Ben Sisario, published in The New York Times, Nov. 16 2016. Rather than 'find' and string together single words in a sea of erasures, I've used whole phrases from the text – though in a way that sometimes subtly alters fine shades of meaning.
Also sharing with Poets and Storytellers United for Friday Writings #196: Hello Fall! Strictly speaking, this is off-prompt, but the winding down at the end of a life can be considered autumnal.
I like erasures, Rosemary, but haven’t written one for quite a while. An article like that is a good place to find a poem.
ReplyDeleteI don't do them very often, and didn't start out with that intention, but so many of the phrases in that article were so captivating.
DeleteWonderful! I like the idea of a erasure poem for this prompt. Will definitely try it out next time.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Have fun!
DeleteAn interesting take a fall before the end. Nicely written. I changed the prompt as fall is so far away from now haha
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard for us to be writing about autumn when here we are entering spring!
DeleteI too have "he felt the window
ReplyDeletegetting narrower." Could be aging? That's what the doctors say when they don't know. Anemia and Kidney Failure stage 3A? Sometimes Aging does that to you. Even did a spinal tap. Nada, aging again.
I know what you mean!
DeleteI guess none of us really know if and how we will be remembered but I am glad his voice was with you and that it can be heard for a long time to come - Jae
ReplyDeleteI'm glad of those things too, Jae. And I think, in view of his many years of fame and popularity, he probably expected to be remembered for a while – though how lasting his fame will be, it's true no-one knows at this time.
DeleteA beautiful and touching poem, Rosemary. Wonderful tribute!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nick, I'm glad you felt that.
DeleteI love the feel of intimacy here and the line about him feeling the window getting narrower.
ReplyDeleteAs do we all, I guess, as we grow old.
DeleteA very poignant poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you, my dear.
DeleteI didn't know much about this poetry style before reading this post. Will try it out someday.
ReplyDeleteVery creatively done. Also a fitting tribute.
Thank you. It's a fun form to play with. There are various techniques, and it goes by various names. You could Google 'Blackout poems', or look up our Magaly's Instagram for her own unique method, or see Judy Kleinberg's 'found poems' here: https://feralpoetry.net/found-poetry-by-j-i-kleinberg/
DeleteAbsolutely! A clever twist on the marching orders and I think its well done. I visit my MIL in her care facility home and ...if we were to ask questions of so many of the elderly people in the halls - what we would learn. I like the word "polishing"
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margaret! Yes, we forget that the interior life is also very important.
DeleteA lovely tribute to Leonard Cohen who will always be remembered by those of us of a certain vintage:) Thank you for this site so we can communicate and give comfort to each other in verse particularly for the optional verse component and your tolerant easy going attitude Some other sites are so strict that you feel you are under the teacher's gaze for any minor infringement. I do appreciate the work involved as I had a site POW many years ago. Am no good at tech stuff but if you need help with ideas I am the original ( come n come again puddin) person, although I'm no spring chicken either and
ReplyDeleteage is winking at me knocking at the front door. Thanks again.
Thanks for this terrific comment! For what you say of Leonard and my poem; also for your kind words about the team at P&SU. I’ll make sure the others see them too. The old Poets United was all things wonderful, but when we three took over we decided to streamline for practical reasons (such as avoiding burnout!) and also to become in some ways even more inclusive. So very glad it’s working!
DeleteOH Rosemary! You chose to write about my favorite poet, musician, vocalist. I have actually fantasized myself in is life [ I know, goofy ] and have most of his music in my CD collection. I especially loved these three words [ busy growing frail ] in your ever so clever and beautifully composed poem. The way I feel many days.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, me too. And yes, Leonard was SUCH an icon! So incredibly talented, in so many ways. And, while a fallible human being like the rest of us (and not pretending otherwise) still, I think, a true seeker after enlightenment (that impossible goal!).
Delete"he felt the window getting narrower." - this is a very evocative line for me. Nice work, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks.
Delete