Charles Bukowski (16 August 1920 – 9 March 1994 / Andernach)

one of the most beautiful poems ever written.

Full Poem
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?

THIS IS NOT THE FULL POEM. Please, if you read Charles Bukowski, find the full version of this poem. It is one of his best.

Wow, now that i've read the full version, it's beautiful. Very nice

Janice, you have shocked me, I never realised this was only part of the poem, not having read much of Bukowski's work before. I wonder how many others here (poems, I mean) have had their legs cut off?

seems Charles loves Jim.. always has...of course Jim was famous..

Janice, get over it! This being a free site, you get what you pay for.
Regarding this poem, it's amazingly insightful and sad, yet warm. Charles has a soul.

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 pur 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?

I have just signed up for this site, Poemhunter, and I can guarantee that I will never return to it. I have spent close to an hour trying to get the FULL verse of the poem BLUEBIRD by Charles Bukowski. I have it written on paper somewhere, but I had hoped to find it quicker on the internet. Sadly, how wrong I was! So, could you Please send the full version of this poem to me in an e-mail as soon as possible.
Thank you, Janice Howell

More than words.Love Duncan