a threat to my immortality
by Charles Bukowski
- she undressed in front of me
- keeping her pussy to the front
- while I layed in bed with a bottle of
- beer.
- where'd you get that wart on
- your ass? I asked.
- that's no wart, she said,
- that's a mole, a kind of
- birthmark.
- that thing scares me, I said,
- let's call
- it off.
- I got out of bed and
- walked into the other room and
- sat on the rocker
- and rocked.
- she walked out. now, listen, you
- old fart. you've got warts and scars and
- all kinds of things all over
- you. I do believe you're the ugliest
- old man
- I've ever seen.
- forget that, I said, tell me some more
- about that
- mole on your butt.
- she walked into the other room
- and got dressed and then ran past me
- slammed the door
- and was
- gone.
- and to think,
- she'd read all my books of
- poetry too.
- I just hoped she wouldn't tell
- anybody that
- I wasn't pretty.
from "Mockingbird Wish Me Luck" - 1972
Black Sparrow Press