No Middleman

[mat james]

...love leads to apostasy
apostasy leads to the Dark Night

[mat james]

...love leads to apostasy
apostasy leads to the Dark Night
and on through the cloud of un-knowing

"I set out one night,
...but I did not know."

and no "middleman"
- no guru
no cultural "Wall"
no "apple-tree" laws

here
"between the Nameless and the Name"

I set out one unknowing night...

[mat james]

cohen cruzin'

I set out one night
without light or guide
(without any form of middleman)
save that which burns in my heart

man, come forth from the cloud of unknowing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1ibNRs4y-4

[Cate]

Hi Iveta,

Thank you for introducing this poem to me.
I liked your interpretation and now having read it, I wonder why I have never noticed this poem before.

[Cate]

...love leads to apostasy
apostasy leads to the Dark Night

cohen cruzin'

I set out one night
without light or guide
(without any form of middleman)
save that which burns in my heart

Mat,
To this, dark night of the soul?

...
'O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.'
...
from St. John

[mat james]

Hi Cate,
yes, to that dark night.

For me, the title "no middleman" suggests that the focus of Leonard's thought in this poem is that need we all have to "stand on our own two feet".
That need is expressed in the religious context in this poem. Therefore the role of the apostate (one who rejects their religious indoctrination/upbringing) and the need to move away from inherited concepts of conformity and into direct union/knownig.
When some people are stuck in their roots, they can't feel the sunshine. That is the way I interpret this poem.
Of course, Leonard may have several layers of meaning, but I am only looking at the "spiritual" meaning, which is my interest area in Leonard's poetry.
On other levels, iveta's interpretation(s) make perfect sense to me as well.

My fascination with poets (as stated on my forum profile) are the writings of the "mystics".
Leonard may or may not be a mystic but I see the influence of mystics in his writing, particularly San Juan de la Cruz.

...and back to why I see this poem in the light of "apostasy"?
The apostate has decided to risk all on independence and the exercise of free will.

...and his (leonard's) "little will" diffuses into that bigger WILL, via the dark night of independent questing (apostasy).

"But love is strong as gravity,
And everyone must fall."

MatbbgJ