the night I was going to die
I was sweating on the bed
and I could hear the crickets
and there was a cat fight outside
and I could feel my soul dropping down through the
mattress
and just before it hit the floor I jumped up
I was almost too weak to walk
but I walked around and turned on all the lights
and then I went back to bed
and dropped it down again and
I was up
turning on all the lights
I had a 7-year-old daughter
and I felt sure she wouldn’t want me dead
otherwise it wouldn’t have
mattered
but all that night
nobody phoned
nobody came by with a beer
my girlfriend didn’t phone
all I could hear were the crickets and it was
hot
and I kept working at it
getting up and down
until the first of the sun came through the window
through the bushes
and then I got on the bed
and the soul stayed
inside at last and
I slept.
now people come by
beating on the doors and windows
the phone rings
the phone rings again and again
I get great letters in the mail
hate letters and love letters.
everything is the same again.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Charles Bukowski's poem The Night I Was Going To Die

4 Comments

  1. Mark says:

    I can’t help but wonder if me me has any advise for homer on writing an epic, or maybe for Shakespear on penning a worthwhile play?

  2. Katra says:

    what does it matter really? the man’s dead.

    altho I do agree with Ben.

  3. Ben says:

    Your kidding me me, giving pointers to one of the greatest modern poets or do I mean to say modern poetry.
    You Fool!

  4. me me says:

    your poem was very cute but you need to put a little action in it to make it better.if you are a poetry you need to keep it up and make it big for yourself.

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