The Essential Bukowski: Poetry

by Charles Bukowski

to die on a kitchen floor at 7 o’clock in the morning while other people are frying eggs is not so rough unless it happens to you.

Good

met a genius I met a genius on the train today about 6 years old, he sat beside me and as the train ran down along the coast we came to the ocean and then he looked at me and said, “it’s not pretty.” it was the first time I’d realized that.

love

art as the spirit wanes the form appears.

love

how is your heart? during my worst times on the park benches in the jails or living with whores I always had this certain contentment— I wouldn’t call it happiness— it was more of an inner balance that settled for whatever was occurring and it helped in the factories and when relationships went wrong with the

Favourite

the strongest of the strange you won’t see them often for wherever the crowd is they are not. these odd ones, not many but from them come the few good paintings the few good symphonies the few good books and other works. and from the

love