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This year, in remembrance of Leonard on this day, I was inspired by the title and first two lines of one of his very early poems “Calm, Alone, The Cedar Guitar” from Selected Poems 1956-68 to compose the image below.

“Calm, alone, the cedar guitar
tuned into a sunlight drone ... “
From beginnings to endings ....
After putting this image together, part of a song by Jimmy Webb keeps repeating in my head -

“When the singer's gone
Let the song go on
It's a fine line between the darkness and the dawn
They say in the darkest night, there's a light beyond
But the ending always comes at last
Endings always come too fast
They come too fast
And they pass to slow ....”

Hi Bev,
Every year since I discovered Leonard (1969), I have been grateful for his life, his talent and his published work.
Yes, I grieved when he died, but I am still grateful for his life, his talent and his published work.
I enjoy him every day.

Alan

Federico García Lorca wrote a poem called "La Guitarra" (The Guitar):
LA GUITARRA - POEMA DE LA SEGUIRIYA GITANA (Cante Jondo)
Empieza el llanto
de la guitarra.
Se rompen las copas
de la madrugada.
Empieza el llanto
de la guitarra.
Es inútil callarla.
Es imposible
callarla.
Llora monótona
como llora el agua,
como llora el viento
sobre la nevada
Es imposible
callarla,
Llora por cosas
lejanas.
Arena del Sur caliente
que pide camelias blancas.
Llora flecha sin blanco,
la tarde sin mañana,
y el primer pájaro muerto
sobre la rama
¡Oh guitarra!
Corazón malherido
por cinco espadas

Translation:

The guitar starts weeping.
Glasses are broken
in the dawn.
The guitar starts weeping.
It is useless to shut her up.
It is impossible
to shut her up.
She cries monotonous
like the water cries,
like the wind cries
over the snow.
It is impossible
to shut her up,
She cries for things
far away.
Hot southern sand
asking for white camellias.
Cry arrow without target,
the afternoon without tomorrow,
and the first dead bird
on the branch.
Oh guitar!
Wounded heart
for five swords.

The translation is mine. But I realize now how difficult it is (it is impossible to do so with Lorca's poems): "mañana" means "morning" and "tomorrow", but "the afternoon without tomorrow" makes more sense than "the afternoon without morning".

Excuse me for writing again in Spanish, but the song of Jimmy Webb remembers me of another song in Spanish!

Si se calla el cantor calla la vida
Porque la vida, la vida misma es todo un canto
Si se calla el cantor, muere de espanto
La esperanza, la luz y la alegría
Si se calla el cantor se quedan solos
Los humildes gorriones de los diarios,
Los obreros del puerto se persignan
Quién habrá de luchar por su salario
Qué ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
No levanta su voz en las tribunas
Por el que sufre, ´por el que no hay
Ninguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta'
Si se calla el cantor muere la rosa
De que sirve la rosa sin el canto
Debe el canto ser luz sobre los campos
Iluminando siempre a los de abajo
Que no calle el cantor porque el silencio
Cobarde apaña la maldad que oprime,
No saben los cantores de agachadas
No callarán jamás de frente al crimen
Que se levanten todas las banderas
Cuando el cantor se plante con su grito
Que mil guitarras desangren en la noche
Una inmortal canción al infinito
Si se calla el cantor calla la vida

Translation:

If the singer is silent, life is silent
Because life, life itself is all a song
If the singer is silent, he dies of terror
Hope, light and joy
If the singer is silent they are left alone
The humble sparrows of the newspapers,
The port workers cross themselves
Who will fight for their salary
What is to be of life if the one who sings
He does not raise his voice in the stands
For the one who suffers, for whom there is no
No reason that condemns him to go without a blanket '
If the singer is silent, the rose dies
What good is the rose without the song
The song must be light on the fields
Always enlightening those below
That the singer does not shut up because silence
Coward manages the evil that oppresses,
They do not know the singers of crouching
They will never be silent in the face of crime
Let all the flags rise
When the singer stands with his cry
May a thousand guitars bleed at night
An immortal song to infinity
If the singer is silent, life is silent

The song was written by the Argentinian singer and writer Horacio Guaraní (pseudonym of Eraclio Catalín Rodríguez Cereijo, 1925-2007), and it was sung by the well known Argentinian Mercedes Sosa (1935-2009).

Well said, Alan!

I’m your fan, Thanks for the translations
Now all this has prompted me in keeping with the guitar, alone and song themes to post below an impromptu verse that Leonard sang at a concert in the early seventies.

“ ...Well I always play my guitar
I’ve been doing it for a long time
I don’t take it very far
Well I sing alone, yes, I just play alone
Yeah, I sing alone, yes, I’m alone
But I’m always there, alone ...”

And the mention of “A Thousand Guitars” near the end of your second post above has reminded me of the title of a song released a few weeks ago by Bruce Springsteen called, “House Of A Thousand Guitars”.

It all seems to go round in circles sometimes, doesn’t it

Oh, and btw, we all handle and express grief in different ways. Some find solace in talking and contact with others. While some prefer not to speak and carry and keep it inside themselves. Whatever path you choose or find yourself on, the memories will always be there.

I know I’ve said this before and maybe it’s time that I keep it to myself in the future
I emphatically and doubly detest this time of the year because my mother died on the same day as Leonard did but exactly one week and two years earlier.

My absence here on the forum is no reflection of the impact Leonard continues to have on my life daily since the year of his death, and it is no reflection of the impact those of you here continue to have on my life personally.

Carry on Mr. Cohen!

Vickie

(Edited to keep Alan from practicing his newly acquired grammar police skills on me)

In tribute to Leonard Cohen, Lil' Andy and Joe Grass perform some of Cohen's compositions.
Narrated by Rabbi Glazer. Sponsored by Ryan Stotland and Molly Frizzell.

https://youtu.be/_6c2WeoKp-Q


Link and picture provided by Eva Poola

jarkko wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 1:02 pm In tribute to Leonard Cohen, Lil' Andy and Joe Grass perform some of Cohen's compositions.
Narrated by Rabbi Glazer. Sponsored by Ryan Stotland and Molly Frizzell.

https://youtu.be/_6c2WeoKp-Q


nov2020.jpg


Link and picture provided by Eva Poola

Thanks Jarkko for sharing!

The link posted below the photo of Leonard Cohen’s grave is not correct.
This is the video we (The Montreal sisters of Mercy) took of our visit to the grave on Nov. 7, 2020

https://fb.watch/1FcJhvf-LD/

Re Jarkko's link (Rabbi Glazer, Li'l Andy & Joe Grass tribute):

Very well done and profoundly moving.

4

Some of you will be remembering Leonard quietly, but I know of at least two members who are doing it a little louder much further south of me with some red needles. They promised to drink one for me in remembrance of Leonard

I was inspired by my above remembrance post here in 2020 to add to it this year.
The golden light, the guitar and the words, “calm, alone, the cedar guitar tuned into a sunlight drone”.
So, I thought I would add this compatible image of Leonard in Australia at Hanging Rock in 2010.

And that has led me to some more of his words with a similar feeling:

You know I always sing alone
Yes, I always sing alone
Well, I always play my guitar
But I’m always there alone ...
~ 1972 Munich concert improvisation

Between the darkness and its golden stage ...
~ 1975 concert variation of Love Calls You By Your Name

I’ll just listen to the darkness sing .... Always remembered.

It’s that doubly horrible time of the year again for me but I don’t want to reflect on gloom.
I want to turn a sad time into a happier one. Here is a remembrance of joy and kindness.
This photo was taken at Leonard’s LA home on Halloween 2 years short of 1 week before his passing.
I love the joyful, mischievous smile on his face!

Speaking of kindness, when LC’s assistant, Kezban Özcan who is in this photo with him was asked:
"What is the most important thing you’ve learned?”
She said: “After knowing him, kindness has a whole new meaning to me, and witnessing him perform kindnesses every single day is a very rare and beautiful thing."

And simple kindness here,
The solitude of strength ~ LC in The Letters

Speaking of remembering, on his live album Can't Forget: A Souvenir Of The Grand Tour 2015 at the end of the song, I Can’t Forget sung at Copenhagen 25 Aug 2012 Leonard said to his audience:
“ah, my dear friends, thank you so much for coming this evening, for standing in the rain, for remembering” ...

Ah, Leonard, we will always, always remember .... everything .....

Remembering Leonard’s passing seven years ago with sadness, but as to who he was and what he left us, he’s always remembered with immeasurable fondness and gratitude.

Ten years ago was a special time here in Melbourne, as we looked forward to various concerts here.

I'm trying to let the gratitude outweigh the sorrow.

Copying what I've posted on my blog.

Seven Years
Seven years. Seven years. I find it so hard to comprehend how it is seven years since Leonard departed. Seven years, but feels like yesterday. The pain as raw as ever. The gratitude profoundly strong as ever. Leonard continues to influence me, every single day. I think it is probably safe to say he will be the most influential person for the rest of my time on planet Earth. However, in saying that my heart is not closed to new influences, new music, new poetry, more wisdom. I’m always opened to new creative occupations.

For now, and forever I’m eternally grateful for all the gifts we received, and continue to receive. I’m still finding lines of songs I’ve know for years will suddenly be highlighted, and bring new meaning. It is the case with the line I’ve used on this photo from Crazy To Love You. I haven’t listened to this song in a few weeks, but for some reason all day yesterday it was swirling around my brain. I was spending a day with nature, soaking up the stunning autumnal colours which in itself draws me to the line from A Thousand Kisses Deep, ” The autumn moved across your skin, got something in my eye, a light that doesn’t need to live, and doesn’t need to die”

Leonard has permeated my soul. To clarify, I don’t believe I have any greater understanding of his work than anyone else, but only that it is in my soul. This also leads me to a memory of when I first met him, and I told him his music, and poetry caressed my soul. He told me he loved that.

I’m going to spend today remembering all the good times, and listen to his songs. Maybe tonight I’ll watch Live in Dublin, or maybe I will save it for Friday, for I like to reminese on the 11th too, because that was the day we found out he had departed. For now all is left for me to say is, Leonard, thank you for the memories.

https://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress ... ven-years/

First, thank you, Bev, for starting this thread and thanks to all who have contributed over the years. Something comforting about seeing it show up each year.

This is always a difficult day. Remembering Leonard makes me sad. I know he would hate that. I like to go back and read some of what was written about Leonard shortly after he passed. People approached his death from all different points of view. It was enlightening and comforting to read how others were coping. Dorian Lynskey, a long-time Cohen fan, wrote an article in The Guardian which made me smile. He also summarized Leonard's work very well:

“'Nobody has a life that worked out the way they wanted it [to] work out,' [Leonard] told journalist Mark Ellen in 2007. The role of a good song, he continued, was to share that feeling so that 'we feel less isolated and we feel part of the great human chain which is really involved with the recognition of defeat'. For Cohen, defeat was the truth of things; the source of all the best jokes; the reason to make art; the crack where the light gets in."

I think Leonard still has a lot to teach us. His work is timeless.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/music ... ould-learn