Water and Flames

I find that the best money spent is the money spent on a good book, one you'll find yourself reading and re-reading, recommending to friends, and carrying all over town. Today, just now actually, I went to Barnes & Noble with my mom and I found a book of selected poems from 1955-1973. It's called Burning in Water Drowning in Flame by Charles Bukowski. Once in the car I opened it's cover and flipped to the first poem, my favorite so far is the fourth poem on pg. 18 titled For Marilyn M. 

for marilyn m.

slipping keenly into bright ashes,

target of vanilla tears

your sure body lit candles for men

on dark nights,

and now your night is darker

than the candle's reach

and we will forget you, somewhat,

and it is not kind

but real bodies are nearer

and as the worms pant for your bones,

I would so like to tell you

that this happens to bears and elephants

to tyrants and heroes and ants

and frogs, 

still, you brought us something,

some type of small victory, 

and for this I say: good

and let us grieve no more;

like a flower dried and thrown away,

we forget, we remember, 

we wait. child, child, child,

I raise my drink a full minute

and smile. 

hmm, I wonder who that's about...