It was 1965 and I was 19 and reading poetry from the beat generation, Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac while drinking coffee on the Terrace, of the Penny Farthing in Toronto’s Yorkville.

I was holed up in Yorkville trying to save money to go to Greenwich Village in New York to appease my wanting to be part of the poetic and music scene I was reaching out to.

The only Canadian Poet who could challenge the Beats for any of my bandwidth at the time was Leonard Cohen, who had just released his fourth book Flowers for Hitler. In it he wrote “Kiss me with your teeth all things can be done, whisper museum ovens of a war that freedom won”

Cohen is from Montreal and was raised in Judaism by parents who told him he was a direct descendent of the high priest Aaron. He was also an ordained Zen monk, an appreciator of Christianity and Gnosticism, and a reader of Hindu philosophy. I consider that, to be very Canadian!

He did not draw major attention until he started setting his poetry to music. I was his song “Suzanne” that in my eyes put him up there with Bob Dylan as a modern day troubadour.

I had the honor of attending his last concert in Vancouver where he prophetically said ” I don’t know when i will pass this way again” I was so glad I went he was amazing.

I write this hoping that you will take the time to read some of his work. Leonard Cohen is the recipient of many awards as you will see if you search Wikipedia:

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A great place to sit and pretend to read, watch and be seen in 1965!