Poetry Reading from "Book of Longing" by Leonard Cohen

 I was recently gifted Book of Longing by Leonard Cohen by my friend in need friend indeed Anamitra Munsi and I decided to read out some of the poems from the book for this week's session. 

Enjoy!

The Bilge Master

A House Full of Stories Ep. 26: The Thing About Cassandra by Neil Gaiman

 This story is a birthday present for my best friend in Romania. Her name is Mary Katerine and she's an amazing friend and person and my life would be a whole lot different if she was not in it! 

Happy birthday, Mary. Have fun listening to this story. 

The Bilge Master 

A House Full of Stories Ep. 25: The Last Leaf by O'Henry (William Sydney Porter)

 So we are now 25 episodes strong and thus I could not resist doing one of my favorite O'Henry stories and therefore I give you all The Last Leaf!

Enjoy!

The Bilge Master

Thank You My Body

Thank you my body

For being whole

For allowing me to see 

And I am sorry I have taken you for granted 

I didn't think it would come to this 

Thank you my body

For giving me imagination

Allowing me to respond to stimulus

And not making me mute 

Or deaf, like Beethoven

Who knows what he would have done if 

He had been able to hear?

Thank you my body

For giving me solace

I'm sorry I make you cry

And you're last on my list of to-dos 

On most days 

Thank you my body

For your mitochondria

For being there for me

And I'm sorry I treat you so

And don't take care of you

All the systems inside you

Demand my attention

And I give it to others 

I stay up nights pining 

For love 

When my lover left me with a person I thought 

Was a friend 

I stay up all night because I have dreams 

Of how to exhaust you more 

Until under torture 

You break

Your bones become brittle 

Your heart riddled with holes 

Foreign bodies in your ribs 

I'm sorry my body

For not listening to your cries of pain

I promise to try harder 

Don't give up on me just yet

The Bilge Master