Revisiting Bukowski

To shine some light on Charles Bukowski's association to the Beat poets (from this previous post), here is another Bukowski poem. Thanks to Josh for bringing this to my attention!

(Incidentally, a movie based on Bukowski's novel, Factotum, starring Matt Dillon, recently opened.)


The Beats

some keep trying to connect me with
the beats
but I was vastly unpublished in the
50’s
and
I very much
disliked their vanity and
all that
public postering.

and when I met most of them
later in my life
I still felt that most of my
feelings toward
them
were the
same.

some accepted
that; others thought that I
should change my
viewpoint.

my viewpoint remained the
same: writing is done
one person
at a time
one place
at a time

and all the gatherings
and tenderings of
proclamations toward the
flock
had very little
to do
with anything

and they still
could
instead of bitching about
the changes of the fates and
the ways

even
still
now:

from the sad university
lecterns
these hucksters of the
despoiled word
working the
hand-outs
still talking that
dumb shit.