My favorite poem - November 26, 2007

The Genius Of The Crowd
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

I have to avoid Bukowski, for all the obvious reasons, but I was thinking How's about some Monday sunshine? And so there you go.

Smooches,
Bunny

Posted by The Bunny at 3:46 AM

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My favourite poem:

If you ever died... I'd

Not as grandiose I suppose. X

Posted by: Uncle Slappy Nuts at November 26, 2007 09:00 AM

Wow. Good stuff. Gotta read more of his work.

Basically one of the only readable modern poets. We had to study all these bullshit English modern poets in school, and it was utterly diabolical. It was like reading the back of a toothpaste tube.

I've been reading your blog for years, Bunny. You seem to know a lot about how I think. It's cool to hear someone who obviously has a lot of talent, and understands the toll that it takes on your life and your mind.

Sorry if that all sounded a bit... floppy.

Posted by: Soren at November 26, 2007 11:53 AM

Oh god, I love Bukowski.
His "Alone with Everybody" poem is my favorite, along with this one.
This made my day!

Posted by: Stephanye at November 26, 2007 03:07 PM

Oh! So fucking cool!! Bunny, that has always been my own favourite poem, too. God, yes.

Here's a youtube of an old interview he did - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33g4I-mZVBc

And here's the great Chinaski reading Genius of the Crowd -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzvFpWDTuJs

Bukowski, jesus, between him & Dylan Thomas, those are by far & away my two favourite 20th century poets.

Posted by: Snowblood at November 26, 2007 06:06 PM

I find it hard to avoid Bukowski.
Damn good choice, Bunny.

Posted by: Katie Jones at November 26, 2007 07:58 PM

that's a good poem, my favorite is dover beach by mathew arnold

Posted by: zach at November 26, 2007 10:09 PM

My favorite Bukowski poem:

"Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink."

Maybe it's not actually a poem, but it makes me laugh anyway. Alcoholics are hilarious.

Posted by: lowdown at November 27, 2007 12:23 AM

'But there is genius in their hatred' is my favourite line. Beautiful poem, thanks for posting. =]

Posted by: Alice at November 27, 2007 02:39 AM

I'm a average man
I'm happy being average
Don't question my love

Posted by: Matt at November 27, 2007 07:16 PM

He sounds like a rock star : )

Posted by: Wayland at November 27, 2007 09:50 PM

Rock star? Hell yeah, but he was more than that. Just fuckin' more. One of the most fucked up and brilliant bastards ever to be spit out by humanity.

"these punks
these cowards
these champions
these mad dogs of glory
moving this little bit of light toward us
impossibly."
(from "Beasts bounding through time", 1986)

ps: Bunny, I love you anyway, this post just proved me right again.

Posted by: Eva at November 28, 2007 03:22 PM

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

Posted by: Nick at December 1, 2007 01:27 PM