Death of a Boxer~

I was in a bar
Just off Hollywood Blvd.
It was of course dark
Musky, Humid…
The way a bar ought to be
People shoulder to shoulder
Spilling drinks
Stepping on toes
Blowing out your eardrum
For some sissy drink
People are like sardines
Not because their packed together so tight you can’t think
But they’re dead just the same Staring at you with vacant eyes

The music of the night
A brilliant score to a living movie
Where love cats dance along Fascination street singing a Lullaby that sounded just like heaven … To my ears anyway

But
There was a silent
Tinge of death
In the air
I could feel it within my skin
The front door
Burst open
The wind howled in
A girl with tears
In her eyes
Cried he died
He died
Charles has died

It was a somber moment
The air froze
Time stopped

Nervously
Anxiously
I humbly inquired
Almost stuttering
“Charles who???”

Bukowski
Bukowski
Bukowski

The music
Seemed to come
To an abrupt halt
Her Cries continued
Bukowski
Bukowski
Bukowski

In a moment
That many would not
Could not
Understand
This night
Like No other night
Would silently
Change
The world

*(matthew bowers)* ~93
© all right reserved
Pictured Charles Bukowski Google images

*note- the bar was Boardners. Ironically I was going to ask what the bar was in the area as I couldn’t remember for years the name of it. Scrolling through posts just moments ago, it was mentioned and it all came running back along with a thousand other memories from that bar.