Bluebird

Charles Bukowski

• there’s a bluebird in my heart that
• wants to get out
• but I’m too tough for him,
• I say, stay in there, I’m not going
• to let anybody see
• you.
• there’s a bluebird in my heart that
• wants to get out
• but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
• cigarette smoke
• and the whores and the bartenders
• and the grocery clerks
• never know that
• he’s

• in there.

• there’s a bluebird in my heart that
• wants to get out
• but I’m too tough for him,
• I say,
• stay down, do you want to mess
• me up?
• you want to screw up the
• works?
• you want to blow my book sales in
• Europe?
• there’s a bluebird in my heart that
• wants to get out
• but I’m too clever, I only let him out
• at night sometimes
• when everybody’s asleep.
• I say, I know that you’re there,
• so don’t be
• sad.
• then I put him back,
• but he’s singing a little
• in there, I haven’t quite let him
• die
• and we sleep together like
• that
• with our
• secret pact
• and it’s nice enough to
• make a man
• weep, but I don’t
• weep, do
• you?