Today’s guest poet — Charles Bukowski
nobody but you
nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and/or die quietly
inside.
nobody can save you but
yourself
and it will be easy enough to fail
so very easily
but don’t, don’t, don’t.
just watch them.
listen to them.
do you want to be like that?
a faceless, mindless, heartless
being?
do you want to experience
death before death?
nobody can save you but
yourself
and you’re worth saving.
it’s a war not easily won
but if anything is worth winning then
this is it.
think about it.
think about saving your self.
(My note: Ordinarily (?) I’d imagine the appropriate picture to accompany this poem would be something spiritual or funereal, but considering who the author is, I felt a picture of pint might be more approps. Although he might have found a pint to be both spirtual and funereal.)
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September 19, 2012 at 8:04 pm
ceciliag
Charles Bukowski once got so mad at his radio that he threw it out his fourth story window into the street! I loved this lovely drunken guy. And yes he may have had a pint for breakfast, before getting out the good stuff for lunch.. bless him.. c
September 19, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Seasweetie
Dirty Old Man is one of the few books that has travelled with me for over 30 years, miss c. Glad someone shares my taste for this quirky tormented soul!