The Bane of Bukowski

The Bane of Bukowski

 

 

He may well have been controversial

but i found some of his quotes

some of the best i’ve read

in American culture

 

there’s one about his “beer drunk soul”

being sadder than

all the dead Christmas trees

of the world

 

after reading it

i felt a throbbing ache in my soul

like when you’re opening presents

on Christmas morning

and your mother says

“here’s the last one…”

 

a reader on Reddit came to his defense,

after some reviews considered Bukowski  

a misogynistic person

with derogatory tendencies

 

“why can’t he just be appreciated

for his art,”

the reader replied…

“rather than his mentality

or his struggles with addiction.”

 

i shall conjure up his beer drunk soul

every Christmas

and days thereafter

when discarded trees lie in waste

with streams of icicles blowing in the wind

lining curbsides in residential neighborhoods

 

and that once familiar ache undoubtedly

will return

lasting well into Valentine’s day.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

wonderful apreciation for Bukowski ... I can not figure out how he managed to escape the beat poet label ... he certainly heard his own drum and followed it .. I admire his passion for being truthful .. I like his edgy pen .. how can we criticize creative writers for that? .. nice read for me Ms. .. refreshing and opens good conversation says i!
E.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I agree. He certainly fits the definition of a beat poet, rejecting traditional poetic conventions. It's hard to criticize him for that. Thanks, Gene!

[Einstein Noodle]

luv on you my friend!

[Coyote Poetry]

Bukowski was loved in Europe. Made first money from Germany. USA was too soft for him. He lived life his way and he didn't need to be popular. Hello dear Kelly. Thank you for sharing your thoughts for a great writer.
Coyote

[Kelly Scheppers]

It's been quite a while, but it's so good having you here, John! Thank you!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Not a fan of the man or his work but I believe his work was greatly influenced by his alcohol induced psychosis so the question of "why can't he just be appreciated for his work" could be answered with his work reflects the skewered perspective of an alcoholic bully playing the victim. The work of Plath reflects another victim mentality; the work of a woman constantly trying to kill herself. I believe life is what you make it with personal accountability and responsibility. This is a nicely written tribute for an abusive and abrasive person.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Your opinion and honesty are always most welcomed, Fabian. Thank you!

[redd Brick Keshner]

This poetic treatment of Bukowski’s controversy doesn’t shy away. Instead, it walks that tightrope with grace, acknowledging the problematic elements without letting them eclipse the weight his words can carry for some readers. That "Reddit reader's" voice feels like a ghost in the margins, defending the flawed brilliance of a difficult man. And then that final stretch: from conjuring his soul every Christmas to mourning with the trees well into Valentine’s Day; ties grief to the cycle of seasons, suggesting that certain aches become traditions of their own. There is that curious ambivalence we feel toward art made by troubled creators that makes this poem very enticing.

[Kelly Scheppers]

The insight you've articulated is one I am most proud of - the "Reddit reader's voice", feeling like a ghost in the margins. Thank you for acknowledging that "tightrope with grace". I knew it would be a fine line with a lot of seasoned poets here. I truly appreciate your voice!

[redd Brick Keshner]

Most welcome, Kelly. And the only seasoning in this soup recipe is a broth of classics and a main ingredient of contemporary expression; garnished with secret herbs and spices handed down and gathered over the years.

[carl]

next to last stanza made it all worthwhile - a stand alone work - Conjuring Burkoski's Soul and you are correct why can we not appreciate art without crucifying the artist. You can have your opinion of his person to yourself and still laud his / her work. Martin Luther King was a human man with human failures but his work was sovereign. -carl

[Kelly Scheppers]

I so appreciate your opinion, Carl. I wholeheartedly agree. Thank you for making my day with your presence here!

[Sami Khalil]

An excellent take on this controversial but highly honest poet in his discourses. I have read many of his poem; the jury is still out on my side.
I have to study more on him and his life to get a full picture.
Thank you for sharing your good pen.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I appreciate your honesty, Sami. I think most poets feel the same as you, and that's ok. I just took a piece of who he was and spoke of how it made me feel. You're entitled to do the same, my friend!

[Sami Khalil]

Wow!
I understand.
You are welcome.

[Davidgeo]

Charles was a piece of s**t and a lovely writer.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Short and to the point. Thank you, David!

[Davidgeo]

I think it would insult his memory any other way

[Ted Kniffen]

My father was much like Bukowski ... not that he was a poet ... but he was a drunk.
They were born the same year.

I spent many an underage hour sitting in a bar while he and his buddies stared into their glasses trying to forget old war buddies who never came home. My job was to make sure Dad got home safely.

He drank himself to death in 1964.
A good poem Kelly. Made me think of old times.

Happy birthday my young friend.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I had an uncle that was a belligerent and loud drunk, but when he was sober, he was truly a different man. I often wondered what it was about the bottle that changed him so. I'm so sorry for the pain you were left to grieve. Thank you, Ted!

[Astro]

There's a chubby ghost silhouetted in the sunlight off a liquor bottle, just sitting in his underwear somewhere grinning at your take. He's probably hoping too that your words might entice the public to buy more of his works so that even in the afterlife he might finance a bottle or make a bet at the big track in the sky. This is how I reacted to your work, it begs remembering a fellow scribe and giving him his due.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Nicely expressed, Astro. I shall conjure up that exact image of him every time I read him. Sitting in his underwear, grinning at my offering. I hope I gave him his due!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I admire this poem and how it presents the defense's argument for Bukowski. I happen to agree with the 4th stanza...and have never seen his writing a more than ordinary...I know or surmise his popularity is as the tortured artist...Ugh to that, but I do like this poem...and your counter arguments.
You are twice the writer he ever thought about being, in my book.
And happy birthday.

j.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I knew in writing this that perhaps it was a little out of my wheelhouse, but I took a shot at it anyway. There are certain poets here that I deeply admire for their caliber of writing, and you are one of them. It seems only natural to validate that every once in a while. As for being twice the writer he was, in your book, I'll gladly take that for all its worth. But I don't think I could have penned a soul sadder than all the dead Christmas trees of the world. Thank you, Jacob. I shall always seek to find, and value, your review!