Done With Bukowski
I’m done with Bukowski.
Done with the stale cigar smoke
and bar napkin sonnets.
Done with the man ~
with the rueful pronouncements
poured out like yesterdays brew.
Done. And why not?
My exes have all married,
save the ones who still
pound on my door.
Done with the pathos
the pain and self pity;
with the drunk
on my bathroom floor.
Sure, I’ve learned.
I’ve learned to live
with blue walls;
wallow in a
much cleaner gutter.
Learned to hold my poetry
close to my vest,
lest the world see
the sham
I’ve become.
I’m done with Bukowski.
Done- til that desperate moment
when the darkness
sets in.
Then I’ll turn
to the sot,
awash in rye whiskey.
Bedfellows alone
at the bar.
(Cigar Emperor Ltd has claimed ownership of this photo The photo is also listed royalty-free on Pixabay)
Anthony C. Hayes is an actor, author, raconteur, rapscallion and bon vivant. A one-time newsboy for the Evening Sun and professional presence at the Washington Herald, Tony’s poetry, photography, humor, and prose have also been featured in Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!, Destination Maryland, Magic Octopus Magazine, Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Voice of Baltimore, SmartCEO, Alvarez Fiction, and Tales of Blood and Roses. If you notice that his work has been purloined, please let him know. As the Good Book says, “Thou shalt not steal.”