Monday, 9 July 2012

Carson McCullers - Charles Bukowski (2001)




After I finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter I was scouting around on the net looking for information about Carson McCullers and I stumbled upon a poem about her by one of my favourite writers – Charles Bukowski. Bukowski was one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, in my humble opinion anyway. This poem beautifully sums up McCullers, although how she died is inaccurate, but why let that get in the way of great art? I’m pleased that Bukowski rated McCullers – he didn’t suffer fools, but also I’m not surprised. Anyway, enjoy the poem.


Carson McCullers
she died of alcoholism

wrapped in a blanket

on a deck chair

on an ocean
steamer. 



all her books of

terrified loneliness



all her books about

the cruelty

of loveless love 



were all that was left

of her 



as the strolling vacationer

discovered her body 



notified the captain



and she was quickly dispatched

to somewhere else

on the ship 


as everything

continued just

as

she had written it

****

Charles Bukowski

5 comments:

  1. Carson McCullers, love. Charles Bukowski, hate. Bukowski's poem about Carson McCullers, love. I'm so confused! But that is an excellent poem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a love hate relationship - very bukowskiesque, ironically....

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely, he never messes about!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He certainly doesn't. I'm reading some Bukowski now, so I'll be writing about that soon.

      Delete