Tribute to Charles Bukowski

there is a loneliness in this world so great 
that you can see it in the slow movements of 
the hands of a clock 

- Charles Bukowski - 

August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994 

from Love is a Dog From Hell 

Bukowski and his cat Minx 

❝ In my next life I want to be a cat. To sleep 20 hours a day 
and wait to be fed. To sit around licking my ass. 

- Charles Bukowski - 

Charles Bukowski, American Author 

Charles Bukowski : The Poetry Foundation 

Charles Bukowski's book on cats to show his gentler side 
© Books | The Guardian

if I never see you again
I will always carry you
inside
outside

on my fingertips
and at brain edges

and in centers
centers
of what I am of
what remains.

- Charles Bukowski -

Bluebird

Bluebird

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 -