Charles Bukowski. The Man at the Piano
The man at the piano
plays a song
he didn’t write
sings words
that aren’t his
upon a piano
he doesn’t own
While
people at tables
eat, drink and talk
The man at the piano
finishes
to no applause
Then
begins to play
a new song
he didn’t write
begins to sing
words
that aren’t his
upon a piano
that isn’t his
As the
people at the tables
continue to
eat, drink and talk
When
he finishes
to no applause
he announces,
over the mike, that he is
going to take
a ten minute break
He goes
back to the men’s
room
enters
a toilet booth
bolts the door
sits down
pulls out a joint
lights up
He’s glad
he’s not
at the piano
And the
people at the tables
eating, drinking and talking
are glad
he isn’t there
either
This is
the way it goes
almost everywhere
with everybody and everything
as fiercely
in the hinterlands
the
black swan burns
