Bluebird Poem by Charles Bukowski

Bluebird

Rating: 3.7


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?

Bluebird
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Johnny Cairo 10 March 2012

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?

42 10 Reply
Dawn Fuzan 13 May 2014

This is a good poem, keep it up charles

12 26 Reply
Frank Avon 01 September 2014

Well, with this poem he let the bluebird out, and it's flying around freely and singing cheerily. It's also Bukowski at his best. Thank you for providing it. ( I assume it has now been edited to include the whole poem, for the text seems to correspond almost exactly with those of others submitted as corrections.)

25 9 Reply
Kelly Brown 22 June 2013

His best poem, definitely.

28 5 Reply
Ellen Smith 29 December 2013

blue birds don't gather but they know their own.

18 10 Reply
Art W 24 July 2022

This might be the most moving and beautiful poem I've read since some by Ferlinghetti.

0 0 Reply
Jenell rubio 15 August 2021

You HIt It. Home Run, you heard me…Not much time left, but TY …TEX.. still want to ride a BULL!

0 0 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 24 September 2020

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 a fine poem indeed. tony

1 0 Reply
Olivia 07 December 2019

My brother loved it so much he was almost cried.

0 0 Reply
Dawson 14 August 2019

Nice poems

2 1 Reply
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