The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

-- by Charles Bukowski

Read more about Charles Bukowski here.

Comments

[Noah Burke]

This is one of my favorite poems and it doesn't seem like Bukowski to me. Thanks.

[Laura Orem]

I agree - Bukowski usually isn't this hopeful. A lovely poem.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000058706234]

One of my favorite poems. Very provocative and inspiring.

[Tonymoore99]

Love this poem, but you've got one of the lines wrong (every site I look at does, though). I have the original printing of this. The line "there is a light somewhere," should be "there is light somewhere."

[Ruggieri Sharkey]

I have a friend who’s really good in writing a poem, too. She writes inspiring poem just like you and I admire you both.

[HDRBodegaPhoto]

Good poem. However, I would have cut the last three lines, making it a perfect poem.

[Obélix]

Life is LIFE

[Michael]

Said like a true alcoholic; I know, I am.

[Eric]

Light means hope, then we need to do meaningful things in our life, before death coming.

[Joaquin Nava]

Always has a way of making the misery escapable as long as the mind and heart are set on the horizon of a fading light.

[The Wandering Earth]

I cant find this poem on https://bukowski.net/manuscripts/

Is this really Bukowski?