<bukowski's "the bluebird">
2002-11-25.12:46 a.m.


the bluebird
Charles Bukowski


there's a bluebird in my heart that 
wants to get out 
but I'm too tough for him, 
I say, stay in there, I'm not going 
to let anybody see 
you. 

there's a bluebird in my heart that 
wants to get out 
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale 
cigarette smoke 
and the whores and the bartenders 
and the grocery clerks 
never know that 
he's 
in there. 

there's a bluebird in my heart that 
wants to get out 
but I'm too tough for him, 
I say, 
stay down, do you want to mess 
me up? 
you want to screw up the 
works? 
you want to blow my book sales in 
Europe? 

there's a bluebird in my heart that 
wants to get out 
but I'm too clever, I only let him out 
at night sometimes 
when everybody's asleep. 
I say, I know that you're there, 
so don't be 
sad. 

then I put him back, 
but he's singing a little 
in there, I haven't quite let him 
die 
and we sleep together like 
that 
with our 
secret pact 
and it's nice enough to 
make a man 
weep, but I don't 
weep, do 
you? 



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