Secret Places by Rumi

The last straw...

No. It is not his birthday, or the anniversary of his death.
In fact there is no reason for this post apart from the obvious one (known by many by now): Bukowski is a poet. And this is a good reason to commemorate him and his work as often as time allows it. (He would so laugh at these words if he was still alive)

I asked myself many times why love his work? Why obsess with a guy that drunk, cursed and used women instead of tissues.Why bother buying another poetry book signed by him? Why even planning to go visit his grave some time in the future?

And I bet there are a few more other questions out there my subconscious has not as yet processed.

Hank was a hater of people, a hater of poetry readings, a hater of conventionality. Yes, he loved his alcohol, his classical music, his gambling on horses and I believe he loved the idea of love - which may or may not be anything to do with the women he encountered.

Who cares?

 The thing that keeps me hooked is his cunning ability to be honest, brutally open about taboo and totally exposed to the waves of pain and deception life throws at any given time.

The link will take you to the last public reading he ever made, the last straw...

Hemoragii

Hemoragii

e smoală cu crini şi pericol iubite

castroane  cu stele se sparg sus de cer

şi palmele noastre alintă cuţite

şi lumea se plimbă cu paşi de-ofiţer

duminica ţipă la vrăbii şi-nghite

plăcinte cu măr, praf de puşcă şi gin

şi lanţuri ne trag înapoi zornăite

şi-n parcuri cresc tei cu miros de pelin

la şoapte ne luăm şi murim din cuvinte

ce nimeni nu ştie cînd/ cum/ cît le-am spus

şi gloanţe de frică ne-aleargă prin minte

şi plîngem cotoare de soare apus

ei rîd şi ne-arată cu mîna-nainte

noi poftim şi tîrîm setea  goală prin spini

şi mă strigi şi te-aud şi tăcerea-i fierbinte

şi aş vrea şi te-ntorci şi-i mereu şi suspini

e linişte-n noapte,-i răpciune iubite

castroane cu stele se sparg sus de cer

şi lumea se culcă pe cant de cuţite

şi inima bate ca un pas de-ofiţer