The Dark Press

ruin

by Charles Bukowski
 

William Saroyan said, "I ruined my 
life by marrying the same woman 
twice." 

there will always be something 
to ruin our lives, 
William, 
it all depends upon 
what or which 
finds us 
first, 
we are always 
ripe and ready 
to be 
taken. 

ruined lives are 
normal 
both for the wise 
and 
others. 

it is only when 
that life 
ruined
becomes ours 
we realize 
then 
that the suicides, the 
drunkards, the mad, the 
jailed, the dopers 
and etc. etc. 
are just as common 
a part of existence 
as the gladiola, the 
rainbow 
the 
hurricane 
and nothing 
left 
on the kitchen 
shelf.

.

i stumbled across this poem over the summer when i was in
a heavy bukowski phase, it has since stuck with me. 
the thing i appreciate about bukowski's style is how 
stark it is, it presents the world as it. often i 
would think after reading one of his poems "yes,
this is truth". there are many fans and non fans of
bukowski alike and i can respect that, but to me 
he's a genius.