The Spice-Box of EarthbyLeonard CohenLeonard CohenThe Spice-Box of Earthby the same authorpoetrySELECTED POEMS 1956-68FLOWERS FOR HITLERTHE ENERGY OF SLAVESnovelsBEAUTIFUL LOSERSTHE FAVOURITE GAMELeonard CohenThe Spice-Box of EarthJonathan Cape Thirty Bedford Square LondonFIRST PUBLISHED 1961FIRST PUBLISHED IN GREAT BRITAIN 1973REPRINTED 1973COPYRIGHT (c) 1961 BY LEONARD COHENJONATHAN CAPE LTD,30 BEDFORD SQUARE, LONDON WCIISBN Hardback 0 224 00648 7Paperback 0 224 00649 5ACKNOWLEDGMENTSCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Queen's QuarterlyPrismSaturday ReviewPan-icThe McGill ChapbookTamarack ReviewMoney from the Canada Councilbought me the time to completethis and other books.I wish to thank all those concerned.PRINTED AND BOUND IN GREAT BRITAINBY RICHARD CLAY (THE CHAUCER PRESS) LTD

BUNGAY, SUFFOLKPAPER MADE BY JOHN DICKINSON & CO. LTDContents9 A Kite Is a Victim10 After the Sabbath Prayers11 Gift12 The Flowers that I Left in the Ground14 If It Were Spring16 There Are Some Men17 You All in White19 I Wonder How Many People in This City20 It Is Late Afternoon22 An Orchard of Shore Trees24 Go by Brooks25 Before the Story27 Alone the Master and the Slave Embrace28 Twelve o'Clock Chant29 To a Teacher30 I Have Not Lingered in European Monasteries31 It Swings, Jocko33 Credo35 Sing to Fish, Embrace the Beast36 Inquiry into the Nature of Cruelty37 You Have the Lovers39 When I Uncovered Your Body40 The Adulterous Wives of Solomon41 The Sleeping Beauty42 Owning Everything44 Song to Make Me Still45 The Priest Says Goodbye47 A Poem to Detain Me49 Angels50 The Cuckold's Song52 Morning Song53 The Unicorn Tapestries55 The Boy's Beauty56 The Girl Toy57 Dead Song58 Call You Grass59 My Lady Can Sleep60 Travel61 I Have Two Bars of Soap62 Brighter than Our Sun63 Celebration64 As the Mist Leaves No Scar65 Beneath My Hands67 I Long to Hold Some Lady68 Now of Sleeping70 Song71 Song72 For Anne73 Last Dance at the Four Penny75 Song for Abraham Klein76 Good Brothers77 Summer Haiku78 Priests 1957

79 Out of the Land of Heaven81 Absurd Prayer82 Prayer of My Wild Grandfather83 Isaiah86 The Genius88 Lines from My Grandfather's JournalThis bookis dedicatedtothe memoryofmy grandmotherMRS LYON COHENand tothe memoryofmy grandfatherRABBI SOLOMON KLINITSKYA Kite Is a VictimA kite is a victim you are sure of.You love it because it pullsgentle enough to call you master,strong enough to call you fool;because it liveslike a desperate trained falconin the high sweet air,and you can always haul it downto tame it in your drawer.A kite is a fish you have already caughtin a pool where no fish come,so you play him carefully and long,and hope he won't give up,or the wind die down.A kite is the last poem you've written,so you give it to the wind,but you don't let it gountil someone finds yousomething else to do.A kite is a contract of glorythat must be made with the sun,so you make friends with the fieldthe river and the wind,then you pray the whole cold night before,under the travelling cordless moon,So make you worthy and lyric and pure.After the Sabbath PrayersAfter the Sabbath prayersThe Baal Shem's butterflyFollowed me down the hill.Now the Baal Shem is dead