'Nirvana' A poem by Charles Bukowski, read by Tom Waits

Nirvana by Charles Bukowski
not much chance, completely cut loose from purpose, he was a young man riding a bus through North Carolina on the way to somewhere and it began to snow and the bus stopped at a little café in the hills and the passengers entered. he sat at the counter with the others, he ordered and the food arrived. the meal was particularly good and the coffee. the waitress was unlike the women he had known. she was unaffected, there was a natural humour which came from her. the fry cook said crazy things. the dishwasher in back, laughed, a good clean pleasant laugh. the young man watched the snow through the windows. he wanted to stay in that café forever. the curious feeling swam through him that everything was beautiful there, that it would always stay beautiful there. then the bus driver told the passengers that it was time to board. the young man thought, I'll just stay here, I'll just stay here. but then he rose and followed the others onto the bus. he found his seat and looked at the café through the bus window. then the bus moved off, down a curve, downward, out of the hills. the young man looked straight forward. he heard the other passengers speaking of other things, or they were reading or trying to sleep. they had not noticed the magic. the young man put his head to one side, closed his eyes, pretended to sleep. there was nothing else to do. just to listen to the sound of the engine, the sound of the tires in the snow.

I don't own the music, I just like it.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• nirvana
• tom
• waits
• charles
• bukowski
• poem
• snow

[VasilisBotoulas]

We must organize a petition for a cd or dvd with Bukowski poems read only by Tom Waits!

[616Hell]

Great Stuff! You can´t go wrong with Tom Waits & Charles Bukowski! Thanks for posting.

[Crazy1native]

Life really gets in the way of perfection.

[BrisbaneBruce]

I know that cafe!...they just bulldozed it for a Starbucks.

[LittleMissEvel]

Those moments are so .. nice.

[karl198]

'But then he rose and he followed the others onto the bus' Too true, we all have to. He 'could' stay there but the trappings of life prevent it the unattainable perfection ruined by the time the bus is leaving, the lack of money , the need to do other things. .. :/

[zlaja1969]

Omg, it's so great!!!! Thanks...

[radioslashmusicmixer]

No offense to Tom Waits because he is a talent, a gentleman and a scholar, but hasn't he done enough already? Not to mention, I prefer Bukowski reading his own pieces. And I haven't heard the Bono recitation either. Enjoyed the spitting comment. Tanks for a war!

[perranfulo]

Tom Waits' voice makes me want to spit.

[angeladpinson35]

incredible



[angeladpinson35]

beautiful, I've been there and sometimes I feel as though I've been that waitress..moments ... I've had a pretty good life and it's getting better. This, that is listening to things like this for instance are some of the things I cherish most in life...