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A Following Poem by Charles Bukowski

A Following
Charles Bukowski
the phone rang at 1:30 a.m.
and it was a man from Denver:

"Chinaski, you got a following in
Denver..."

"yeah?"

"yeah, I got a magazine and I want some
poems from you..."

"FUCK YOU, CHINASKI!" I heard a voice
in the background...

"I see you have a friend,"
I said.

"yeah," he answered, "now, I want
six poems..."

"CHINASKI SUCKS! CHINASKI'S A PRICK!"
I heard the other
voice.

"you fellows been drinking?"
I asked.

"so what?" he answered. "you drink."

"that's true..."

"CHINASKI'S AN ASSHOLE!"

then
the editor of the magazine gave me the
address and I copied it down on the back
of an envelope.

"send us some poems now..."

"I'll see what I can do..."

"CHINASKI WRITES SHIT!"

"goodbye," I said.

"goodbye," said the
editor.

I hung up.

there are certainly any number of lonely
people without much to do with
their nights.
***