Reading, hearing Bukowski's work in the past week, is like remembering advice my dad would give about wasting time by going to college, traveling the world, love, living life...'roll the dice' to him meant the bottom of the bottle, seems a similar path Charles took...a loosing game, no matter how you rolled it...
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.
if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.
go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.
do it, do it, do it.
do it.
all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.
- Charles Bukowski
3 comments:
Most of us aren't willing to do this, are we: those sacrifices that must be made. Yet I can't help but admire the spirit of it, and the whole-heartedness; it's the way of great artists, great athletes, great leaders of all kinds.
Fascinating idea... though I'm not sure I agree with the sentiment. Well, what I mean is, it's not for me! I'd much rather enjoy the ride. Who cares where we end up...? :)
Some would call this philosophy genius... some would call it insanity...
I call it an entertaining poem that *almost* inspires me to get up off this couch, but, hell, at least I'm lounging all the way!
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