Back to Where It All Began*: Hybrid Prose Poem

Who Drives You to the Page: who was the first?

My page was too white My ink was too thin The day wouldn’t write What the night pencilled in — Leonard Cohen

Were we six or seven Jane, when we got up on the stage the silver cassette player with Jennifer Warnes taking Manhattan —

what heaven was that place, that place we’d never been, didn’t attempt — ah, the pen has begun to itch — nights are passing faster now — and we no longer have our stage —

hands crossed over knees back outwards the imagined crowd till the words simply drown out the rest

— for me, anyway — spun down longing central, waiting for a train to board, to take on taking on took the last suitcase that held monolithic typewriter — till the pages grow longer — till the hypergraphia sets in —

this dark long Poet sets up an altar for me

back to where it began with huge connected perforated printing pages huge awkward lines and scribbles to feel

that I’ve got it now — I’ve penned after my god, seen the man and woman and other for what it took out of me to get here — I’ve got it now, Len —

*A line from Cohen’s song, “Last Year’s Man.”

Prompt:

I still remember being a young boy encountering Leonard Cohen through Jennifer Warnes’ cover album, Famous Blue Raincoat. It wasn’t till years later that I actually heard Cohen’s voice (well, except for when he duets with Jennifer on “Joan of Arc”), and I was less than appreciative. Now, however, I can/do listen to Cohen at any time.

Cohen’s mastery with the image was the first thing to grab me. Later, it was his preoccupation with sex. The man is a god among poets, however, and he will forever be the one who drove me to the page.

For today’s prompt, write a piece that features the one who first sparked the desire to write in you. Include a brief quote, either that you’ve read more recently or can recall from your early days as inspiration for writing. Tag me in it and rock on!

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