Born Into This
posted by Jane Crowe at 4/18/2006
I just saw the film Born into This about legendary barfly poet Charles Bukowski. It was an incredible portrait of this fascinating man. I thought this poem was especially compelling:
THE GENIUS OF THE CROWD By Charles Bukowski
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
THE GENIUS OF THE CROWD By Charles Bukowski
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
4 Comments:
Oh, Miss Crow, how I love and miss that man. I'm going to have to move that film up in my renatal queue.
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that was awesome. thank you crow
Have you seen Barfly? Have you read Notes of a Dirty Old Man? I love the part about the iron bed! A friend has told me of Bukowski Parties he went to where a large number of people (mostly, though not exclusively, men) dressed as, acted like and quoted Bukowski for the entire evening. Apparently, many of them drank and fought like Bukowski as well.
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