19. Oktober 2013

Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation

"Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation...Once the fire celebrated Light, the dirt Humility, the blood Sacrifice... Once, for a while, he seemed to serve something other than himself. Those were the only poems he ever wrote. They were for Shell. He wanted to give her back her body." (Roman "The Favourite Game", Leonard Cohen, Quelle)
Was für ein unerwarteter, unglaublicher Fund sah mich heute - die schwarz-weißen Filmaufnahmen des 30-jährigen Leonard Cohen. Er trägt Gedichte vor, lacht, lässt sich ganz intim im Bad filmen, heult, spricht über die Liebe, Frauen, Sexualität, alles...

"Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen"
(von Donald Brittain und Don Owen, 1965)


"This informal black-and-white portrait of Leonard Cohen shows him at age 30 on a visit to his hometown of Montreal, where the poet, novelist and songwriter comes "to renew his neurotic affiliations." He reads his poetry to an enthusiastic crowd, strolls the streets of the city, relaxes in this three-dollar-a-night hotel room and even takes a bath."
"A lot of Donald's work was salvage jobs for other people, and that's how he came to do this film. Don Owen shot the tour of the four poets, couldn't get it to work and Brittain came in and saw that the only thing that worked was the Leonard Cohen segments.

The most interesting thing is the exploration of documentary truth, where Cohen writes in the bathtub, caveat emptor, and then the two of them sit in the theatre and Don questions him about that scene. It's an interesting exchange. The whole film is basically the two of them saying, "Don't believe everything you see just because it's documentary."

They stayed friends all their life. Cohen was at Don's funeral in tears. They recognized each other as authentic human beings. They lived the lives they wanted to lead. - by Adam Symansky" Quelle

Mein nächstes Buch zum zarten Verschlingen wird das bereits erwähnte "Das Lieblingsspiel" - sein Erstlingswerk über die großen Gefühle zum Mädchen namens Shell sein:
“I must go now."
"Stay up the night with me! We'll go to the fish market. There are great noble monsters packed in ice. There are turtles, live ones, for famous restaurants. We'll rescue one and write messages on his shell and put him in the sea, Shell, seashell. Or we'll go to the vegetable market. They've got red-net bags full of onions that look like huge pearls. Or we'll go down to Forty-second Street and see the movies and buy a mimeographed bulletin of jobs we can get in Pakistan --"
"I work tomorrow."
"Which has nothing to do with it."
"But I'd better go now."
"I know this is unheard in America, but I'll walk you home."
"I live on Twenty-third Street."
"Exactly what I'd hoped. It's over a hundred blocks.” 

Kein Beruf, auch keine Beschäftigung ist nicht nur die Poesie, auch mit der Liebe verhält es sich gleich, sie ist und bleibt ein Verdikt, denke ich... Die wahre Liebe... 

Im Film trug er dieses Gedicht vor:






As the mist leaves no scar
On the dark green hill
So my body leaves no scar
On you and never will

Through windows in the dark
The children come, the children go
Like arrows with no targets
Like shackles made of snow

True love leaves no traces
If you and I are one
It's lost in our embraces
Like stars against the sun

As a falling leaf may rest
A moment on the air
So your head upon my breast
So my hand upon your hair

And many nights endure
Without a moon or star
So we will endure
When one is gone and far

True love leaves no traces
If you and I are one
It's lost in our embraces
Like stars against the sun 




Zur Poesie und dem Sinn des Schreibens: