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the gas line is leaking, the bird is gone from the cage, the skyline is dotted with vultures; Benny finally got off the stuff and Betty now has a job as a waitress; and the chimney sweep was quite delicate as he giggled up through the soot. I walked miles through the city and recognized nothing as a giant claw ate at my stomach while the inside of my head felt airy as if I was about to go mad. it’s not so much that nothing means anything but more that it keeps meaning nothing, there’s no release, just gurus and self- appointed gods and hucksters. the more people say, the less there is to say. even the best books are dry sawdust. —from "fingernails; nostrils; shoelaces"
E-Book Content
the people look like flowers at last new poems
CHARLES BUKOWSKI EDITED BY JOHN MARTIN
contents
one for they had things to say 3 evening class, 20 years later 4 the snow of Italy 6 near a plate glass window 8 beef tongue 10 the 1930s 13 people as flowers 15 acceptance 18 life at the P.O. 21 the minute 23 too near the slaughterhouse 25 a future congressman 26 stranger in a strange city 28 just another wino 33 it is not much 35 the bull 37 the people, no 39 you might as well kiss your ass goodbye purple glow 44 one thousand dollars 48 grip the dark 49
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the dwarf with a punch 52 the elephants of Vietnam 56 breakfast 57 inverted love song 59 Salty Dogs 60 brainless eyes 62 unbelievable 64 war and peace 67 the harder you try 70
two all the little girls 73 no more of those young men 76 legs 80 Jane’s shoes 82 Rimbaud be damned 83 bewitched in New York 98 don’t worry, baby, I’ll get it 100 the telephone message machine 104 that nice girl who came in to change the sheets 105 an agreement on Tchaikovsky 108 love song to the woman I saw Wednesday at the racetrack possession 112 six 113 man mowing the lawn across the way from me 114 the girl outside 116 the chicken 118 an ancient love 120 match point 121 I also like to look at ceilings 122
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no Cagney, me 123 soup, cosmos and tears 125 peacock or bell 128 purple and black 130 fulfillment 132 yours 135 kissing me away 137 goodbye, my love 144 heat 145 the police helicopter 146 ah 148 of course 149 the dream, the dream 150 note on the tigress 151
three poem for my daughter 155 sheets 158 sick leave 160 my father 162 the old woman 164 what made you lose your inspiration? 166 another poem about a drunk and then I’ll let you go dead dog 172 I live in a neighborhood of murder 177 the bombing of Berlin 178 all right, Camus 179 quits 181 Adolf 184 the anarchists 186
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perfect white teeth 188 4 blocks 190 you can’t force your way through the eye of the needle two kinds of hell 195 my faithful Indian servant 198 a plausible finish 200 another one of my critics 202 fog 204 free? 208 imported punch 210 it was an UNDERWOOD 212 the creation coffin 213 the 7 horse 215 the suicide 218 overcast 224 the final word 226 fingernails; nostrils; shoelaces 227 after receiving a contributor’s copy 229 poor night 232 you write many poems about death 235
four dog 239 the hatred for Hemingway 240 looking at the cat’s balls 244 contributors’ notes 247 on beer cans and sugar cartons 249 pay your rent or get out 253 note on a door knocker 255 the American Flag Shirt 256
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age 257 the dogs bark knives 258 the hog in the hedge 260 I never bring my wife 263 an interview at 70 266 2 views 268 van Gogh and 9 innings 270 9 a.m. 272 lousy day 273 sadness in the air 275 the great debate 279 our deep sleep 282 the sorry history of myself 284 law 286 a great writer 288 a gigantic thirst 290 eulogies 292 a residue 293 1990 special 295 passage 296 a most dark night in April 297 sun coming down 298
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