Sincerely, L. Cohen

 

The night I met Leonard Cohen,

Involved a night begun off course.

Too much brandy, a moonlight ride,

Followed home by a stray spotted horse.

I returned to the barn and unbridled,

Hung my reins on a wooden stay,

Fed the horses, turned off the lights,

Then tried to shoo the stray horse away.

The kids told me it was the neighbors’,

A few farms away, but quite scary,

This meant I had to walk the horse

To the triage loving, Harley and Mary.

They opened their door with open arms,

Greeted by wafts of herbal scent.

Harley tied up the horse, grabbed my sleeve,

Tugged into their trailer, I went.

I was instantly plied with more liquor,

They offered me a very fat joint…

Their conversations kept turning to sex,

Attempting to drive home their point.

Harley told stories of sex while fishing,

As Mary, by habit undressed,

I knew then and there, if I did not escape,

My life, and future, forever unblessed.

Maneuvering like a spinning top,

I slithered my way back home,

Vomiting over twenty odd acres,

Flying solo, so low, so alone.

I remembered crawling  barbed wire,

Railroad ties, and over junk cars,

Dragging myself through mud, rolling over,

To witness so many incredible stars.

I will never forget how proud I was,

When my house appeared in sight…

One foot on the floor, ceiling spinning,

I had one big question that night…

Sometimes art and fine poetry,

Slip into your life without warning…

I called Harley’s septic pump shop

The very first thing in the morning.

What record last night were you playing?

The music forever turned my head around.

Harley answered, “It was Leonard Cohen”.

That night I had touched sacred ground. 

Now 40 years later, I read his obit,

Remembering that night back then... 

I've listened to Cohen everyday since,

But never smoked weed again.  

RIP Leonard Cohen, and Thank you for the words...

11 10 2016