Nini Bennett. Dankie, Leonard
Sunday, November 24th, 2019
The Goal
I can’t leave my house
Or answer the phone
I’m going down again
But I’m not alone
Settling at last
Accounts of the soul
This for the trash
That paid in full
As for the fall, it
Began long ago
Can’t stop the rain
Can’t stop the snow
I sit in my chair
I look at the street
The neighbor returns
My smile of defeat
I move with the leaves
I shine with the chrome
I’m almost alive
I’m almost at home
No one to follow
And nothing to teach
Except that the goal
Falls short of the reach
Leonard Cohen
“The goal” is ’n gedig wat met instrumentale dekor vir die eerste maal op 20 September 2019 op YouTube vertoon is. Wat natuurlik die vraag – en verwagting – na Leonard Cohen se postume album laat ontstaan het. En die meester het sy volgelinge nie terleurgestel nie: Thanks For The Dance is die laaste studio-album van dié Kanadese sanger en digter, en is vrygestel op 22 November 2019. Sy seun, Adam Cohen is die vervaardiger en het die CD liefdevol byeengebring met verwerkings van topmusikante soos Daniel Lanois, Damien Rice, Jennifer Warner en Beck. Adam Cohen verdien al die akkolades wat na sy kant toe kom: as addendum tot You Want It Darker, bevat die album songs wat onmiskenbaar die Cohen-stempel dra – minder musiek, dalk, maar met ’n groter nadruk op die lirieke / poësie. Dit is een van Cohen se mees poëtiese albums nog.
Listen To The Hummingbird
Listen to the hummingbird
Whose wings you cannot see
Listen to the hummingbird
Don’t listen to me
Listen to the butterfly
Whose days but number three
Listen to the butterfly
Don’t listen to me
Listen to the mind of God
Which doesn’t need to be
Listen to the mind of God
Don’t listen to me
Listen to the hummingbird
Whose wings you cannot see
Listen to the hummingbird
Don’t listen to me
Leonard Cohen
Die omslag is swart, met goue letters wat aan ’n Bybel of testament herinner. Die finaliteit van afskeid resoneer in ’n dromerige, transendentale gang; die sensuele en spirituele word een.
Dis ’n sublieme testament. Dankie, Leonard.
