On the Death of Leonard Cohen

She made contact through the writing
Although I don’t think she had read any of my work
She just wanted to bed a writer
For maybe if she could bed a writer or several
This would enable her to become a writer herself
Well she came to town and I fucked her in a seaside cottage
It was like fucking a rat
We drank all day and all night
I took her to Ridgwell’s seat where
She told me a little of herself
As we drank beer in the sun
She came from a wealthy background
But the wealth had made her miserable
Her problem was a lack of talent
And no amount of money in the world
Can buy that rarified commodity
On the third day I sent her home
And never saw or heard from her again
Sometimes things work like that
Before leaving she gave me a book by Jean Rhys
Voyage in the Dark
And remarked that I didn’t appear to have read enough novels by women
She also told me that she thought she was dying
So maybe she died
I don’t know
Before we met
She said there was a video she wanted me to see
Of her and Leonard Cohen’s daughter
Dancing naked in LC’s New York apartment
I told her to send it on through
And she did
I played the video
There was the rich girl naked
On all fours
Wearing one of those Venetian ball masks
Sitting in a chair, almost naked
She still had on bra and knickers, plus mask
Was LC’s daughter, or allegedly so
The scene was devoid of romance, erotica or
Anything even vaguely sexy
I deleted the video and forgot about it and her
Until years later I heard the news
That Leonard Cohen had died.

Joseph Ridgwell was raised in East London and is a cult figure of the literary underground both in the UK and abroad. Ridgwell has published five collections of poetry, two short story collections, three novellas and two novels. A second collection of stories was published by New York’s Bottle of Smoke Press in Summer 2015. In November 2015 – Leamington Books – published his long-awaited debut novel – Burrito Deluxe – On the Road for the Offbeat Generation. His second novel – The Cross Part 1, 2 & 3 were published in serial format by Paper & Ink Press in 2015/2016. Also due for publication in 2016 are Jamaica & Mexico which will form a trilogy with Cuba, which was published in 2014. The trilogy is published by Pig Ear Press.

Ridgwell is currently working on his 6th collection of poetry and a prequel to Burrito Deluxe. Ridgwell Stories was nominated for a 2016 Pushcart Prize and was long-listed for the 2016 Saboteur awards. For further details of the authors work and current state of mind go to his website by clicking here…