Charles Bukowski – Roll The Dice

If you’re going to try, go all the

way.

otherwise, don’t even start.

 

if you’re going to try, go all the

way.

this could mean losing girlfriends,

wives, relatives, jobs and

maybe your mind.

 

go all the way.

it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.

it could mean freezing on a

park bench.

it could mean jail,

it could mean derision,

mockery,

isolation.

isolation is the gift,

all others are a test of your

endurance, of

how much you really want to

do it.

and you’ll do it

despite rejection and the worst odds

and it will be better than

anything else

you can imagine.

 

if you’re going to try,

go all the way.

there is no other feeling like

that.

you will be alone with the gods

and the nights will flame with

fire.

 

do it, do it, do it.

do it.

 

all the way.

all the way.

 

you will ride life straight to

perfect laughter, its

the only good fight

there is.

And I’m doing it

Enduring the long distance between us

Facing myself when there’s silence and darkness

Working while loosing my passion for it

Living in a city that left me long ago

Pushing time forward

Trying to live my dream

Holding my future closeby

Reading Wilde’s words

And still smiling

Because

I’m doing it!

*********************************************************************

6 Responses

  1. damn good poem ain’t it ?

  2. Yes, damn good. I have a paper copy of it near my computer

  3. “you will be alone with the god’s
    and the night’s will flame with fire”

    each and every time i read this poem
    a half smile grace’s my cheek
    and my heart beat’s just a little bit faster…

    cheer’s!

  4. Hi James, nice to know that you appreciate the poem as much as I do!

    Cheers!

  5. Charles Bukowski is a genius.

  6. Hi Paul, in reply to your comment I add another poem written by Charles Bukowski, which comes to me after having opened one of his books by chance.

    “The powers that be”

    there was a crowd at this dinner.
    they were all telling jokes of
    one sort or another,
    some of them were professional
    actors, directors of note, writers,
    and it gave me a little
    tingle to be with such talented
    humans.
    there was a lull, finally,
    and I began telling about something
    that was not a joke.
    about something that happened to me.
    I mean, I wasn’t serious but at the
    same time I was serious,
    trying to explain what
    had occured, about
    something that might occur
    unexpectedly in any man’s life,
    something to be understood,
    something to cherish.
    I guess it was
    a rather philosophical story
    informed by decades of
    my living life out.

    then, I was finished.
    there was silence.
    nobody agreed or disagreed.
    and then, at once, they all began
    again
    chatting about
    little happenings,
    the waiter appeared and
    disappeared,
    desserts and libations,
    further in-jokes and out-jokes,
    the candles flickered in their
    glass enclosures,
    eyes locked and unlocked,
    lips opened,
    mouths smiled, hands
    gestured,
    these were the talented minds that
    informed our way,
    these were the talented minds that
    informed their way.
    I was sitting with talented
    shit.

    Bye,
    Pamela

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