day eleven - bluebird

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski (1920 - 1994)

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?

The first time I read this poem, I felt a tightening in my chest and throat, as my eyes began to well with tears. I choked down the emotion, worried of how my reaction to something as seemingly innocuous as a poem would be perceived. Strangely though, I was alone. It was as though the last stanza was written for me in that moment.

It spoke deeply to me about the way we, or society, can suppress the gentle, caring, and softer sides of ourselves. How depression can suffocate these emotions leaving a rough, brash exterior..

How much more caring and compassionate would the world be, if only we were all able to free ourselves of this preconceived notion, and see the skies filled with bluebirds.

Kilt of the day - Black Watch

Links of the day - Bluebird by Charles Bukowski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmWZOsVtqR0

Soundtrack/Animation of the day - Animation based on Bluebird by Charles Bukowski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsc3ItAKSLc