Bluebird

By Charles Bukowski

Music: Lesfm from Pixabay

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?