"The Genius of the Crowd" by Charles Bukowski (poetry reading)

He died in '94, not '44. Sorry about that.

The woodcut is from "Madman's Drum" by Lynd Ward, about 1930

there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day

and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace

those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love

beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average

but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own

not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world

not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond

like a knife

like a mountain

like a tiger

like hemlock

their finest art

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Genius
• Crowd
• Charles
• Bukowski

[Poemsapennyeach]

Whose voice...? Doesn't sound like B. Is it you...? Good poem well delivered whoever it is...oh and thanks for your comment on my Profile.

[SpokenVerse]

I read everything in this channel. Thanks for your kind words. I'm sorry, but I don't think I commented on your profile.

[Rykhuu]

Beware those quick to censor, they are afraid of what they do not know

SOPA ಠ_ಠ

[MonsieurAdalie]

This poem in French ;-)

youtube.com/watch?v=2oXhwQYnlH­4

[Zaphod615]

This mans voice completely gave me the chills at the end.

[JefrusOk]

My god...the irony!

jefrus.co.uk

[itstime2die1]

i like this very much makes me feel better in some way some how i don't why

[dionisis1979preveza]

here in greece we have some of the biggest poets that lived in earth...HOMER SAPHO ,KAVAFIS , ELYTIS, SEFERIS, KARIOTAKIS...the great N.EGGONOPOULOS

M.SAXTOURIS.... C.BUKOWSKI stands next to them also...GREAT AND HUGE!!!

[MisterMistmoore]

Those who voted thumbs down are part of the crowd.

[jahwarrior72]

Charles Bukowski saved my life. true story.

[zenclaw13]

I absolutely love your voice! It adds so much to the work. Just great!

[phroney]

Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you, for reading so much of Bukowski! I cannot get enough of his poetry.