Defining the magic
a good poem is like a cold beer
when you need it,
a good poem is like a hot turkey
sandwich when you’re
hungry,
a good poem is a gun when
the mob corners you,
a good poem is something that
allows you to walk through the streets of
death,
a good poem can make death melt like
hot butter,
a good poem can frame agony and
hang it on a wall,
a good poem can let your feet touch
China,
a good poem can let you shake hands
with Mozart,
a good poem can let you shoot craps
with the devil
and win,
a good poem can do almost anything,
and most important
a good poem knows when to
stop.
Charles Bukowski: “Betting on the Muse”, p. 131
Længe leve Bukowski! En rusten røst fra folkedybet. En ikke-statsstøttet kunstner, en mand uden akademisk eller anden nævneværdig uddannelse, en børste og en bandit, som udtrykte sig klart og rammende. Flere af hans slags, tak! (Vi har, så vidt jeg kan komme i tanker om, ikke en eneste af den støbning i det dresserede danske kulturliv i dag.)