BLUEBIRD

So, earlier this morning I was Google Image searching for a Charles Bukowski quote to post in my 'Words to live by' series... as you do. I was surprised by the amount of people that have Bukowski inspired tattoos. There are many. Some great, some not so much. Therefore, I decided that instead of a 'Words to live by', I would just post a few of my favourites - those inspired by this particular poem...

"Bluebird"

 

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?

"Bluebird" was published in 1992 in 'The Last Night of the Earth Poems', the last book of poetry that was published whilst Bukowski was still alive.
 
Bukowski didn't show his softer, vulnerable side very often. The metaphorical 'Bluebird' kept hidden so not to tarnish his reputation as a 'tough guy'. That is probably why the poem is so popular, why so many people connect to it, and why so many people have Bluebird tattoos.

Here are just a few...