Touch Wood by R.G. Evans The poem/lyrics below were inspired by an interview about songwriting with Leonard Cohen. The first line and refrain or both quotes from that interview Raise an altar of unhewn stone One gate of horn one gate of bone Touch wood Come on touch wood Black ball white ball juggle them both Look to the one that you drop most Touch wood Come on touch wood Say a prayer cast a spell One goes to heaven one goes to hell No way of telling what’s bad from good Only thing a soul can do and that’s touch wood Come on touch wood Black cat howling on a gravestone stump Watch where you step and how high you jump Touch wood Come on touch wood Midnight crossroads meet your man John the conqueroo and glory’s hand Touch wood Come on touch wood One thief on your left and one to your right Only thing to do is hold on tight And touch wood Come on touch wood Bio: R. G. Evans is a poet, fiction writer, and songwriter from Southern New Jersey. He teaches creative writing at Rowan University. Website: www.rgevanswriter.com Lookout by Clive Gresswell dedicated to Leonard Cohen the holy war metaphors are in wages of the pentecostal sin harbingers of every thin reprieve soldierless fortunes armies on their knees recalling from fixtures the broken cry of hymns the rattle of the mounting mourning violins & stretchers from across the chimes of winds the solitary burgeoning of terrestrial times the tinkling emergence of solitary rhymes beside the lakes & the burial of mimes we seek the hope & glory of appeal the work towards the journey of it all & where the men stood motionless on the hill gathering up the writing on the wall. Bio: Clive Gresswell is a 64-year-old innovative writer and poet who has appeared in many mags from BlazeVOX to Poetry Wars and Tears in the Fence. He is the author of five poetry books the last two being ‘Strings’ and ‘Atoms’ from erbacce-press (see their website for more details).
Fevers of the Mind 