Hallelujah at Tiffany’s

· by · in glosa, poetry. ·


Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

(Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah)

Hallelujah advent’s here again
I should light candles and prepare for Christ
but indulge in plastic credit cards
to compensate for lack of love
I buy you diamonds you don’t need
cause for Christmas we just want more
the beggar’s sitting by the jewelers door
will not accept my credit card
and no-one has the time to fight her war
Baby I have been here before

Hallelujahs sung at Tiffany’s
to get us in the mood of giving
but to the beggar’s cup I’m out of cash
my conscience haunts me as I hunt
for sparkling stones as gift of love
to showing off with parcels from this store
with silken strings that promise Christmas nights
in diamond kisses of togetherness
as strings of consciousness I must ignore
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor

Hallelujah for the love I feel
if I could talk in sparkling words instead
that you could wear to match your smile
if tender word could talk like gems
and I could take you in my arms and dance
the way the Christmas carol’s flew
across the rooms, across the floors
I’ll take you as my cotton bride
and everything would start anew
I used to live alone before I knew you

Hallelujah fills me, as I decide to leave
and walking down across the street
I buy a cup of coffee and a piece of cake
to share, cause even beggar’s wont
is for that breakfast at Tiffany’s
to relieve her of her Christmas dirge
we share in silence and I know she’s seen
that the Christmas joy of giving extends to her
and to drums and trumpets I lit the torch
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

Audrey Hepburn from Breakfst at Tiffany's from Wikimedia Commons

Audrey Hepburn from Breakfst at Tiffany’s from Wikimedia Commons

I’m sharing this glosa on Hallelujah with Imaginary Gardens with real toads and Poetry Pantry Pantry.
—
December 7, 2013

26 responses to “Hallelujah at Tiffany’s”

  1. What a lovely glosa, Bjorn ~ Full of meaning for the advent season, its the sharing that matters most more than jewels and silken things~ Have a wonderful Sunday ~

  2. hallelujah’s at tiffany’s—ha…giving (away) our money not to those in need but….yeah…i do like that hallelujah moves us to dance to the cotton bride….smiles….i have shared a few burgers with beggars in my day…they all have stories….

  3. Leonard Cohen is one of my favorite singers/poets of all time; and I enjoyed reading your version of “Hallelujah.” You have written a poem of contrasts…diamonds from Tiffany’s and beggars’ cups. I like the last stanza with the cup of coffee and the piece of cake to share — a wonderful outpouring of Christmas spirit in that simple gesture.

  4. Great Hallelujah variation, Björn! I like how you included the beggars in your poem. A powerful reminder of what the spirit of the season should be.

  7. Good rhythmical beat to this one and use of form . I must try this glosa form. I like the association of the credit cards as momentary feel good compensatory for the lack of love filling a yawning gap.
    You dancing across the floor with Audrey Hepburn was a pretty cool image as well:)

  8. I apologize for I couldn’t stop smiling at Tiffany’s because the song, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, started to play automatically in my mind.
    On a serious note, your words made me think. The Christmas season is for giving indeed and you have penned your thoughts so well. Thoughtful writing. 🙂

  11. I like how your words cascade reflecting what expectations arise, but I love how you shared the truth, the meaning of the season! Great form… Well Done

    • Bjorn,
      as I read thru the others posts, and thought back to yours… and you described it as a “glosa” I realized I needed to study further and find out what a glosa was precisely and find the lyrics to the song (as I am very hard of hearing and miss some words, therefore some meaning).
      Listening to the two posted versions, and then k.d.lang’s with the words in front of me and then reread your post in a different frame of mind, I must say I am impressed how you captured the man and the song, in my thinking. Thank you for using a word that haunted me (glosa) til I figured out what I was missing.
      Peace,
      Siggi

  17. Great Hallelujah variation Theme Bojorn! Credit card love to impress but nothing in the empty cup of those truly in need. This is so fitting for this Advent season.

  18. Yes! Wonderfully done. It’s that credit card thing which is pretty humbling. Whether giving to a loved one or a beggar it raises questions of other ways. Let’s eat cake together outside Tiffany’s.

  21. Great sentiments. Sadly it won’t hold back the splurging of cash and the mountains of debt on stuff we don’t want or need. Bring back the tangerines and nuts of my mother’s childhood.

  22. Love Leonard Cohen and love your words. Tis true at Christmas we spend ridiculous amounts – often credit card amounts – on goods we really perhaps could/can do without. How strange it is that then our minds turn to those less fortunate at this time of giving as if somehow our conscious’s can only be pricked by rampant spending. But this we do.
    Anna :o]

  23. I love this, ” strings of consciousness I must ignore” it really sums up the feeling of that inner tape reminding us of the others.

    Great tone shift and transition really works toward the end where you switch your focus.

    Great writing!

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