Riku - The End of Love

I tried to find a very simple picture for today, greyscales and clear forms.

As I promised, I'll feature one of my favourite artists here today (maybe some of you know him, most of you most likely won't):
the poet, singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Born in the 1930's in Canada, he started as a writer and published mostly poetry, moved to greece and returned later to the US, where he started his singer career in the '60s, that made him world-famous. Cohens works are of a strong melancholic tint, dealing with the exploration of religion, isolation, sexuality, and complex interpersonal relationships. Allthough he published numerous albums, he sometimes works 10 years on a song.
Although Cohen is a jew, he spent the late '90's in seclusion as a Zen monk at Mt. Baldy. This year, his world tour is his first stage appereance in 15 years.

His most famous songs are 'Hallelujah' (you may know some of the many covers, e.g. by Rufus Wainwright), 'First we take Manhattan' (covers by Joe Cocker, R.E.M. and others), 'In my secret life', 'Suzanne' and more.

My favourites of his work are
'Dance me to the End of Love' [link]
'The Stranger Song' [link]

His works are of a clear intelligence and knowledge about the ways of life, his play of words is winking and the meaning in them is stunning. Leonard Cohen's songs are true, and that's something very seldom to be found.
I love the simple settings of his music; the melancholy of his bariton voice carries the lyrics well. Cohen is an exceptional artist - and yeah, he's about 80 years old, but art is not about age. I sometimes use quotation from some of his songs at the bottom of the description of my deviations.

I recently read his poetry volume 'Stranger Music' twice and at the moment, I'm at 'The Book of Longing'. I recommend it to everyone who's in for some intellectual mind-food.

--

(me) as Riku
Street Style
Kingdom Hearts II

photo by
character (c) Square Enix/Disney

--

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love