Charles Bukowski's poem "Bluebird" explores the poet's internal struggle to suppress his vulnerable emotions. There is a bluebird residing in his heart, yearning to be set free, yet the speaker's toughness and fear of exposing his true self prevent it from escaping. He resorts to numbing the bird's presence with whiskey, smoke, and distractions from the outside world. The poem reveals a complex relationship between the speaker and the bluebird, with moments of tenderness and acknowledgment. Their secret bond brings solace, evoking powerful emotions that resonate deeply, leaving readers to contemplate their own capacity for vulnerability.
Famous Poem
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
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?
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