| -1/15/04
- Charles Bukowski - War All the Time.
I get more and more mimeo chapbooks in the mail
written by fellows who used to know me
in the good old days.
these fellows are all writers
and they write about me
and they seem to remember
what I said
what I did.
some of it is exaggerated
some of it is humorous
and a majority of it is
self-serving--
where I tend to look bad or
ridiculous
or even insane
they always describe themselves
as calm and dependable observers
instead of
(in many cases)
as the non-talented
boring
ass-sucking
pretentious and
time-consuming
little farts
that they were.
I feel no rancor at what they
write.
it's only I've already done a
better job
with that particular subject
matter
and I would suggest that they
move on to the next man
just as my women have
done.
Ginsberg?
--------
I am sitting in the clubhouse
grandstand
$311 ahead going into the
7th
when this very young man
walks up
stands there
as I am going over the
Form.
"pardon me," he says.
"yes?"
"listen, " he says, "I think
I know you..."
"no," I say, "you don't."
"don't you know Allen
Ginsberg?"
"I don't know any
Ginsberg..."
"didn't you give a
reading at a
nightclub called the
Sweetwater?"
"I don't know what a
reading is..."
"listen," he says, "I know you!"
I stand up and face
him.
"listen, buddy, I'm a
gardener for some
rich people.
that's how I
make it."
I turn and walk off
down through the rows
of seats
feeling good
just like a gardener
should
out on a gambling night
after a row with
his woman.
Both from:
War All The Time
Poems 1981 – 1984
Read more by Bukowski by adding "War
All the Time" to your shopping cart.
|
