Charles Bukowski
Byrnzie
Posts: 21,037
Anyone else a fan?
One of my all-time hero's.
By the way....I'm very drunk. But at least I spelled the fuckers name right.
One of my all-time hero's.
By the way....I'm very drunk. But at least I spelled the fuckers name right.
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Woke up this morning and it seemed to me,
that every night turns out to be
A little more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Well we sat on the edge of the river,
the crowd screamed, "Sacrifice the liver!"
If God takes life, he's an Indian giver.
So tell me now why, you'll tell me never.
Who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well see what you wanna see. You should see it all.
Well take what you want from me. You deserve it all.
Nine times out of ten our hearts just get dissolved.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
But one time out of ten, everything is perfect for us all.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
Here we go!
If God controls the land and disease,
keeps a watchful eye on me,
If he's really so damn mighty,
my problem is I can't see,
well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Evil home stereo, what good songs do you know?
Evil me, oh yeah I know, what good curves can you throw?
Well all that icing and all that cake,
I can't make it to your wedding, but I'm sure I'll be at your wake.
You were talk, talk, talk, talkin' in circles that day,
when you get to the point make sure that I'm still awake, OK?
Went to bed and didn't see
why every day turns out to be
a little bit more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Charles Bartowski will do, too. Meow!
kevinbeetle: "Yes. When her career washes up and her and Gavin move to Galveston, you will meet her at Hot Topic shopping for a Japanese cheerleader outfit.
Next!"
Dusseldorf 21/06/07, Manchester 17/08/09, London 18/08/09, LA 06/10/09, LA 07/10/09.
Ain't gonna be any middle anymore.
just released a great collection titled, Pleasures of the Damned. it's sort of a greatest hits collection.
i have a ton of favorites from him....Notes of a Dirty Old Man is probably at the top, as far as writing collections go. And I'd call Women my favorite Buk novel.
as far as individual poems...i give you, Dinosauria, We:
born like this
into this
as the chalk faces smile
as Mrs. Death laughs
as the elevators break
as political landscapes dissolve
as the supermarket bag boy holds a college degree
as the oily fish spit out their oily prey
as the sun is masked
we are
born like this
into this
into these carefully mad wars
into the sight of broken factory windows of emptiness
into bars where people no longer speak to each other
into fist fights that end as shootings and knifings
born into this
into hospitals which are so expensive that it's cheaper to die
into lawyers who charge so much it's cheaper to plead guilty
into a country where the jails are full and the madhouses closed
into a place where the masses elevate fools into rich heroes
born into this
walking and living through this
dying because of this
muted because of this
castrated
debauched
disinherited
because of this
fooled by this
used by this
pissed on by this
made crazy and sick by this
made violent
made inhuman
by this
the heart is blackened
the fingers reach for the throat
the gun
the knife
the bomb
the fingers reach toward an unresponsive god
the fingers reach for the bottle
the pill
the powder
we are born into this sorrowful deadliness
we are born into a government 60 years in debt
that soon will be unable to even pay the interest on that debt
and the banks will burn
money will be useless
there will be open and unpunished murder in the streets
it will be guns and roving mobs
land will be useless
food will become a diminishing return
nuclear power will be taken over by the many
explosions will continually shake the earth
radiated robot men will stalk each other
the rich and the chosen will watch from space platforms
Dante's Inferno will be made to look like a children's playground
the sun will not be seen and it will always be night
trees will die
all vegetation will die
radiated men will eat the flesh of radiated men
the sea will be poisoned
the lakes and rivers will vanish
rain will be the new gold
the rotting bodies of men and animals will stink in the dark wind
the last few survivors will be overtaken by new and hideous diseases
and the space platforms will be destroyed by attrition
the petering out of supplies
the natural effect of general decay
and there will be the most beautiful silence never heard
born out of that
the sun still hidden there
awaiting the next chapter
-Charles Bukowski, from The Last Night of the Earth Poems, 1992
I understand he's making a point about what a cruel miserable world he was brought up in, and it's truthful but I, erm, get a bit tired of reading him calling women whores and such.
he was a lot deeper than that...read more.
Read what I just wrote!
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 darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods 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 life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
and how apt that you are drunk.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Definately one of my favorites. I went to a college with quite a few uber fundamentalists, so I used his stuff a lot in my forensic classes.
It's still waiting for what?
Actually I heard some guy from Lock,Stock whatever on Newsnight Review (exciting Friday night that one) once saying how Bukowski was his favourite author. This guy I didn't like, guess it fixed a negative impression in my mind straight away, he mentioned Irvine Welsh also.
If you're gonna read Bukowski's novels I recommend Post Office, although I prefer his poems.
I started with a collection of short stories. and never looked back. He is hilarious, heart breaking and gritty, in the most beautiful way.
One of my fave Bukowski Poems, esp if you think he is a misogynist, think again.
<< prev. poem Poems by Charles Bukowski: 36 / 136 next poem >>
For Jane: With All the Love I Had, Which Was Not Enough:
I pick up the skirt,
I pick up the sparkling beads
in black,
this thing that moved once
around flesh,
and I call God a liar,
I say anything that moved
like that
or knew
my name
could never die
in the common verity of dying,
and I pick
up her lovely
dress,
all her loveliness gone,
and I speak to all the gods,
Jewish gods, Christ-gods,
chips of blinking things,
idols, pills, bread,
fathoms, risks,
knowledgeable surrender,
rats in the gravy of two gone quite mad
without a chance,
hummingbird knowledge, hummingbird chance,
I lean upon this,
I lean on all of this
and I know
her dress upon my arm
but
they will not
give her back to me.
Charles Bukowski
I was sat next to a Mr. Hornby in a pub/restaurant once. I always wondered if it was Nick Hornby? :eek: The pictures I saw looked similar.
wow i adore this! i was never offended by the content of his stories.. i just didnt much care for the stream of conciousness, tell you everything that has happened sort of story. but his books are the kind that i reflect on and love more and more..
this is a great song!
Elmer, I didnt mean you, I meant the Lock Stock guy! I always start books and leave them, i'm like a magpie..
I could never see myself living at a flophouse hotel in downtown L.A., but I enjoyed reading about it!
He spent a lot of time at the L.A. area racetracks...would been cool to see him there!
in other words. I love Poetry, and Poets, and crumbly people.
and therefore I love Bukowski.
lots. :cool:
have you ever read Jim Carroll?
He is like the NYC version!