Smoke floated above the river
As it carried the cherub along,
The hollow feeling in his stomach
Growing more painful,
When a phantom fist reached down
Plucked him out, and carried him away.
The filtered light through the wicker reeds
Only served to bewilder the baby further
As he bounced along,
Crying in the darkness with primal fear.
Finally, his new ears
Heard a violin in the distance
And he was calmed for a moment.
Then the turn of a key,
The lids of his basket opening,
And his new eyes saw
A crystal chandelier against an oak ceiling
And a man with a large, scarred face
But eyes full of warmth
Reaching for him again.
He scooped him up in giant hands
And set him down in a bed of blankets
Beside a burgundy fire.
With a booming voice,
The man yelled, "Wake up, woman.
Take care of this child.
I have work to do."
He walked away, opened a bottle,
Filled a glass with brown liquid,
Drank it quickly, filled it again,
And sat in the orange glow
Scribbling angrily
Into a tattered notebook.
The child would learn, years later,
That this day began his quest,
A Mythic journey with a drunken master
Who rescued him from the river of Indifference
To search for jewels in junkyards,
Beauty in ugliness,
And Grace among the outcast.
Author notes
Charles Bukowski was one of the poets who rescued me from the river of indifference we are all at risk of getting swept away by. I was a teenager when I first discovered him in a dusty used bookstore. I was the baby in the basket, adrift, failed by the American educational system, my eyes being opened for the first time by the poet who found jewels in junkyards.
In a list
A contest entry
- You Choose - No Rules by Dalaney.
1200 points, ended December 6, 2008, 23 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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Excellent poem. I like to read Bukowski. Great poet.
Hugs, Marie
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I can't believe i missed this poem, where was I!!! It's words are just beautiful, there is nothing more wonderful than being able to write a poem about someone who has been special to us. I'm sure when I write a tribute about the people who have been special in my life, there will be a verse about you. I think Mark, that people who have had peoms written about them by you have been given a great honour.
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I'm such a fan of Bukowski. Time and again I've found myself indulging in the real life grit and also the soft side as he aged in sickness and left so many thoughts that gave credit to the beauty that surrounded him. His "stuff" was just so damn good, regardless of the ends of the continuum he chose to write about on any given day.
This was a great tribute poem with a closure that slam dunked the theme of the entire piece. Such tremendous writing, Mark.
I hope you had a great holiday season - and thanks for bringing such great poetry to the pages...
Kim
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Kim,
Thanks for your comment on this. Sorry for taking so long to respond. When I think of Bukowski, I always remember a story he told about high school. He was 17 and stricken with acne vulgaris, the worst form of acne one can have. His face was buried under it. On the night of his prom, he hid in the bushes across the street and watched everyone else walking in with their dates. And still he found beauty in this world.
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=)
How did you get sliver for this?! You should have gotten GOLD in my opinion!!!!! But maybe thats because I'm your #1 biggest fan and I think all of your writes are masterpieces. I love the style in which you write. You are always so very passionate about it, whether its serious or light-hearted. You're simply amazing Sara -
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Thanks, Sara.
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Bukowski is probably smiling down on you
He is one of my favorite poets and the most
interesting literary cluster-fuck there ever
was. Thank you for your entry. Love, Lane -
Very interesting,compelling, good story line. Your author's notes make it more interesting.
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Wonderful descriptions and emotions described in this creative tribute to such a fine poet. I love how your poetry always seems to have a lesson, as well as gives us a glimpse inside of your mind and a piece of your soul. I really enjoyed reading this.
Good luck in this contest and Happy Holidays to you!
Michelle
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I see the world just got a wee bit smaller. It is really good to see someone else using the same two options, and doing so very imaginatively.
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Wow! What a wonderful tribute to a man that had such a positive influence over your life. We all need someone like this to help us through the indifference, and the feeling lost years. Great job on this, and I truly enjoyed the read. Blessings, Patty
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Excellent write and a great tribute to Bukowski. He's long been one of my favorites since a friend of mine bought me the book: Love is a Dog From Hell. It was meant as a joke, but I have kept that book of poetry and it has guided me to different avenues and places I never would have dreamt of going.
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