charisma

this is my favorite bukowski poem
it is the only bukowski poem i truly love
it can only be found in "burning in water drowning in flame"
i had to look for it tonight because it is relevant to a friend's life
poor kid

i want to share it with everyone, i am going to put it on my blog. the writer is ivre morte in the motel in the sky so copyright schmopyright, i won't get in trouble right


CHARISMA, by charles bukowski

this woman keeps phoning me
even though I tell her I am living with a woman
I love.


I keep hearing noises in the environment,
she phones,
I thought it was you.

me? I haven't been drunk for several
days.

well, maybe it wasn't you but I felt it was
somebody who was trying to help
me.

maybe it was God. do you think He's there?
yes, He's a hook from the ceiling.

I thought so.

I'm growing tomatoes in my basement,
she says.

that's sensible.

I want to move. where shall I move?

north is obvious. west is the ocean. the east is the
past. south is the only way.

south?

yes, but not past the border. it's death to
gringos.

what's Salinas like? she asks.

if you like lettuce
go to Salinas.

suddenly she hangs up. she always does that. and she
always phones back in a day or a week or a
month. she'll be at my funeral with tomatoes and the
yellow pages of the phonebook stuck into the pockets of
her mince-brown overcoat in 97 degree heat,
I have a way with the ladies.