Because I knew You

A tribute to Leonard Cohen

I wanted you, while in my youth. 
You wanted lies, you called them truth. 
I never understood what it was 
to be with you. 

I felt the earth, I saw the sky 
I fell through hell and wondered why 
no one felt the red flow 
as it drew you. 

and still it rains from my soul, 
and from a mind not quite whole, 
it was a life I knew, 
when I was with you. 

I touched the mountain, 
I stood in this pyre. 
I flew too close, 
melted in the fire, 

and always it was you 
I kept coming back to. 

You have to live or else you die, 
To go on in truth unless you lie, 
and though the chorus sings 
it passes through you. 

when the end comes to me at last, 
and my life is all in the past, 
only singed, charcoal smoke 
offered to and through you, 

I'll sing the praise 
always on my tongue. 
The blessed phrase 
not for the young: 

I wasn't all alone, 
because I knew you.

Reviews

[SHEEMA HUQ]

This seems to have a hymnal feel about it, and your wonderful use of imagery really pays off.

[Mark]

I was hearing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' as I wrote this, I guess that is some sort of hymn! THanks for reading :)

[sakshi arora]

i was reading and i was saying to myself so true ,so true .

[Mark]

Thank you sakshi! I'm glad you liked it.

[Vikrantsingh]

Wonderful Poem Mark :)
Simply amazing chemistry :)

Loved these lines

I touched the mountain,
I stood in this pyre.
I flew too close,
melted in the fire,

Cheers!
Singh :)

[Mark]

thanks for commenting my friend. :)

[Vikrantsingh]

;)

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree with the logic of the poem.
"I wasn't all alone,
because I knew you."
Some people we bring back often in a life. We know pain may come. In the end it was worthwhile for we share time with someone we loved. No weakness in the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Mark]

Thank you my friend.

[Leslie Philibert]

What I think is really great is the way you use the quatrain in the first verse, the short last line that slows
down the tempo, a kind of short thought at the end of the verse. Great. A fine poem.

[Mark]

THank you Leslie

[s y e]

I don't know, Cohen but I've seen the name pop up in live feed. On say that, this is amazing! (: I loved it, you've written it amazingly well. ((:

~ Noodle.

[KAOlmsted]

I love Cohen...This is a great tribute to one of the finest artists of our era, Mark...you did good with this one ;-)

[QuietlyCrash]

This is beautiful and done incredibly well. I thoroughly enjoyed it, great job.

[Mark]

Thank you very much, I"m very happy you enjoyed it.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A perfected piece and a great tribute, well done.

[Mark]

Thanks Thomas!

[Angi]

I do not know Cohen. Frieda and Stella have talked about him. I hear the praise you sing to this man, Mark. This flows beautifully. Angi~

[Mark]

Frieda has a link to one of his best. He's worth listening to. If you saw the movie Shrek, the Hallejuia song was written by Cohen.