having the low down blues and going
into a restraunt to eat.
you sit at a table.
the waitress smiles at you.
she’s dumpy. her ass is too big.
she radiates kindess and symphaty.
live with her 3 months and a man would no real agony.
o.k., you’ll tip her 15 percent.
you order a turkey sandwich and a
beer.
the man at the table across from you
has watery blue eyes and
a head like an elephant.
at a table further down are 3 men
with very tiny heads
and long necks
like ostiches.
they talk loudly of land development.
why, you think, did I ever come
in here when I have the low-down
blues?
then the the waitress comes back eith the sandwich
and she asks you if there will be anything
else?
snd you tell her, no no, this will be
fine.
then somebody behind you laughs.
it’s a cork laugh filled with sand and
broken glass.

you begin eating the sandwhich.

it’s something.
it’s a minor, difficult,
sensible action
like composing a popular song
to make a 14-year old
weep.
you order another beer.
jesus,look at that guy
his hands hang down almost to his knees and he’s
whistling.
well, time to get out.
pivk up the bill.
tip.
go to the register.
pay.
pick up a toothpick.
go out the door.
your car is still there.
and there are 3 men with heads
and necks
like ostriches all getting into one
car.
they each have a toothpick and now
they are talking about women.
they drive away first
they drive away fast.
they’re best i guess.
it’s an unberably hot day.
there’s a first-stage smog alert.
all the birds and plants are dead
or dying.

you start the engine.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Charles Bukowski's poem Another Day

3 Comments

  1. MRITYUNJAY JHA says:

    A POEM THAT SIMPLY SKETCHES THE ROUTINED PATTERN OF ORDINARY DAY TO DAY LIFE WHICH SEEMS BEREFT OF WONDER OR EVEN MYSTERY.WITH THE SIMPLE WORDS AND SHORT SENTENCES,THE POET PRESENTS A VIEW AND NECESSARILY NOT A VIEWPOINT.THE BEAUTY OR OTHERWISE OF OUR LIVES LIES IN THE MUNDANE DETAILS AND BUKOWSKI DOES THIS WITH A TOUCH THAT IS HIS OWN.LIFE IS ABSURD YET WORTH-DECIPHERING AND THE POET HAILS THIS AND THUS TRIES TO PUT A SENSE OF LIFE THAT IS SO COMMON YET CELEBERATORY!NICE POEM.GOOD SITE.SPELL-CHECK MAY BE EFFECTED.

  2. JO says:

    THE WORD PICK AT THE END IS MISS-SPELLED, THERE IS A V INSTEAD OF A C

  3. cowboy says:

    the address in the e-mail address box is my home address. to the women that read this poem, this is pretty much how men live without women. so thats why you need to that special person in your your life how you really feel about them so where you can make them happy for a change

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Charles Bukowski better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.