leonardcohenforum.com

Thank you for your thoughts on this Andrew. I will contribute via pm.

That's a lovely idea, Andrew.


~ Lizzy

Works for me, fer shure. A terrific, thoughtful idea. Well done man.

paul was and will always remain a beautiful kind and warm man. it was a privilidge to have known him.

Andrew (Darby) wrote:those who knew Paul better than I did (eg. Gypsey Wife, Joe, Jack) may wish to suggest something appropriate.

Hi Andrew
I didn't know Paul very well but from the little I knew it was enough for me to say that you can use any or all of what I write below in what ever form you want to send to Kay.

Thoughts about Paul

Like Paul I learned some things late in life that maybe I could have learned earlier. One such thing was how much I needed people. No matter how smart i thought I was or how much I thought I knew; I needed the people who could see what I could not and more important I needed to be able to trust them, The ones who showed me that were the ones who approached me with a heart opened in a way that allowed trusting them,

Paul seemed to me to be this kind of person. Such people put you at ease and your eyes receive a rest because you discover the joy of receiving direction straight from the heart. It must have been this that Leonard received from Suzanne and Jesus when he wrote
"And you want to travel blind"

There is joy there in that blindness but with the blindness is the fact that you don't know why they came to you and later you don't know why they have to leave. I tried to put that into words one time and wrote something to the newsgroup.

Paul responded to it with saying "Jack, I have tried to draft 3 or 4 responses to your words but none have been adequate. You move me."

What that told me about him is that he too knows the experience of having those who bring love that can be trusted come and go and that we have to find some way of relating to it all. I wasn't thinking of Paul when I wrote it but I could have been and maybe no one will think of Paul when they read it but likely they could. One of the main things about death is that we don't know what it is. My poem is called "What I don't Know" and though it wasn't written for him I have no hesitation in dedicating it to him.

What I Don't Know
It was so easy walking with my eyes closed
when you showed me a simple love existed
now i look in all the rooms of my life
and see that everything is so twisted
and I don't know what to do
Can I stop needing you?

I'll always be glad to know you are smiling
and traveling with those you trust
and if islands in the sun bring you joy
then fly away if you must
but I don't know what to do
Can I stop needing you?
... Jack Lazariuk : Dedicated to paul Galvin

Very sorry to learn about this; I exchanged mails and interacted several times with Paul. Remember him fondly - always will. G

Jack,
What you wrote makes me cry. I am sorry I didn't know Paul. I am glad others remember him fondly, and I am glad they remember him to the rest of us. I feel like I'm talking inside out. I'm sorry.

Thank you Jack - your contribution is very moving and will be something that will definitely be incorprated (perhaps in its entirety) on the proposed scroll. Thank you too, to those others of you who have made valuable contributions or supportive comments here or by PM.

I'll wait for some more contributions before pulling them all together and then I'll run it past you as a whole piece before it's finalised.

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

I don't know if this has been brought to the attention of this thread but Leonard narrated a piece with the National Film Board of Canada that deals directly with the process of death. The video he made is titled "The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life"
It is very good.

The description of it is as follows

This two-part series explores ancient teachings on death and dying. It was filmed over a four-month period on location in the Himalayas where the original text still yields an essential influence over people's views of life and death. A Way of Life contains footage of the rites and liturgies surrounding and following the death of a Ladakhi elder. The Dalai Lama explains his own feelings about death, while other scenes within a palliative care hospice in San Francisco depicts the use of the texts to counsel dying AIDS patients. This film, by revealing ancient teachings on how to think about death and dying, can be a valuable source of counsel and comfort.

Oh Jack,

Your poem was touching and gorgeously written. And, the dedication to Paul so moving. Thank you so much for sharing it.

As for the Tibetan Book of the Dead narrated by Leonard, I have it on DVD, and can also wholeheartedly recommend it. Such an incredible study on how another culture deals with death and honoring those who have flown away into another realm.

Peace and thanks again!

Julia

Okay folk, I’ve now collated your responses for the memorial scroll for Paul and you can find the pdf version on the LC Files link below. Accordingly, I would ask you to look at this draft and consider whether it’s okay for me to go ahead and have it printed onto the scroll as is. In particular review your own contribution and decide whether you are happy to have it included as it stands. Some of your comments may only have been intended for the Forum and its membership, so I accept it if you wish to delete your bit, or otherwise edit it.

I tried to avoid editing it (as much as possible) and have had an inclusive approach to the material I was presented with, so I’m not sure if there is too much wordage and content or not. It’s hard to know where to draw the line: for instance, whether to include all the examples of Paul’s postings and exchanges with you or not. The other thing I’ve done is use your Forum name, so let me know if you wish to be otherwise identified.

I’ve also included the simple RIP messages, as I don’t want to discriminate against anyone, just on the basis of the length or style of the message. Finally, I had a limited choice of fonts and borders, but I imagine the printers (or whoever transposes this onto the scroll) will have some input on this – anyway, I’m sure it will have an appearance befitting the occasion. Besides, it’s really the words themselves that are most important.

I will wait for a week or so for any feedback (either here in the open Forum or via PM or email), before going ahead with getting it printed onto the scroll and then posting it to Kay.

http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/Paul.pdf

Cheers,
Andrew (Darby)

Thanks for this service, Andrew.

Excellent work Andrew

Many thanks

Dick

This is a wonderful tribute to Paul. I know it will print up beautifully.

Thank you for doing this.

Dar

Thank you for your feedback so far.

Just to clarify, when I put this selection of comments together, I cast my net very wide, including comments that predated the decision to produce the scroll, so please make sure you check out the draft, just in case you are unaware of your contribution there now. (So, I've included snippets from everyone who has referred to Paul in this thread since its commencement.)

Given this, you may wish to delete or modify the comment currently attributed to you in this draft.

Cheers,
Andrew (Darby)