Charles Bukowski, 'too soon'

Charles Bukowski, ‘too soon’

this dutchman
in a Philly bar put
3 raw eggs in his
beer
before he took a drink.

71, he was.

I was 23 and sat 3
barstools away
burning
sorrows.

I held my head in all its
tender precious
agony

and we drank
together.

“feelin’ bad, kid?” he asked.

“yeh. yeh. yeh.”

“kid,” he said, “I’ve slept longer than you’ve
lived.”

a good old man
he was

soothing
gold
and too soon
dead.