The best poems by Charles Bukowski

Poet and writer, born monday august 16, 1920 in Andernach (Germany), died wednesday march 9, 1994 in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California (United States)
You can find this author also in Quotes & Aphorisms, in Humor and in Novels.

Posted by: Dario Pautasso
There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see
you.
There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he's
in there.

There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
You want to screw up the
works?
You want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
There's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.
Then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?
Charles Bukowski
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    Posted by: mor-joy
    We are always asked
    to understand the other person's
    viewpoint
    no matter how
    out-dated
    foolish or
    obnoxious.

    One is asked
    to view
    their total error
    their life-waste
    with
    kindliness,
    especially if they are
    aged.

    But age is the total of
    our doing.
    They have aged
    badly
    because they have
    lived
    out of focus,
    they have refused to
    see.

    Not their fault?

    Whose fault?
    Mine?

    I am asked to hide
    my viewpoint
    from them
    for fear of their
    fear.

    Age is no crime

    but the shame
    of a deliberately
    wasted
    life

    among so many
    deliberately
    wasted
    lives

    is.
    Charles Bukowski
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      Posted by: mor-joy
      Your life is your life
      don't let it be clubbed into dank submission.
      Be on the watch.
      There are ways out.
      There is a light somewhere.
      It may not be much light but
      it beats the darkness.
      Be on the watch.
      The gods will offer you chances.
      Know them.
      Take them.
      You can't beat death but
      you can beat death in life, sometimes.
      And the more often you learn to do it,
      the more light there will be.
      Your life is your life.
      Know it while you have it.
      You are marvelous
      the gods wait to delight
      in you.
      Charles Bukowski
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