Driving to my brother's funeral in Los Angeles, where my family is from. First thing I do is go to visit Mother Ocean, the Pacific, the place it begins and always seems to end. My feet walk on the sand, and I think of this song by Leonard Cohen. Truly, he says it all. To love, indeed, we all must come - but like a refugee. That's how the light gets in...............http://youtu.be/_e39UmEnqY8
http://youtu.be/5ma5tF6TJpA
The birds they sang
At the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
Has passed away
Or what is yet to be
Ah the wars they will
Be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
Bought and sold
And bought again
The dove is never free
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
We asked for signs
The signs were sent:
The birth betrayed
The marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
Of every government
Signs for all to see
I can't run no more
With that lawless crowd
While the killers in high places
Say their prayers out loud
But they've summoned up, they've summoned up
A thundercloud
And they're going to hear from me
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
You can add up the parts
But you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march
There is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come
But like a refugee
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
One of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs. Wise and true. Thinking of you, Lauren. I lit a candle for him on the 15th.
ReplyDeleteA blogger in New Zealand invited her readers to share the pivot points they remember. The usual motley crue turned up: when Diana died, 9/11 - all the tragedies - I intended to add the Australian laundry list of gruesomeness.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet ate my post. *sigh*
Then I remembered something that is taken for granted in the 21st century: the first heart transplant performed by Chris Barnard on 3 December 1967.
Recipient Louis Washkansky.
Donor: Denise Darvall
Then over the years, the stories started to emerge of organ transplant recipients experiencing transference memories and WOW!
This life.
Otterly awesome.