His Poems Are Timeless

Charles Bukowski, portrait by Italian artist Graziano Origa.

By RD Armstrong, Guest Writer

When I first read this poem, Dinosauria, We, by Charles Bukowski, I thought, “This doesn’t sound like the Bukowski that I grew up on.”

But after I checked and was told that it was, I got that old sinking feeling like the one I got from reading Pulp, Bukowski’s last book of fiction. That book seemed to be written by three different voices. It doesn’t matter because I guess I don’t really see what the point is. I’ve read Buk for about 50 years. I’d like to say that I often pull out my favorite volume but during the financial adjustment in 2008, I sold most of my Bukowski library to make the rent. I miss them, but I had to live with my mistakes. So I did. Even so, every time I read one of his poems, I find a deeper richness than I had when I read it before — say 20 years earlier. I’d say that this must be because I’m maturing. Life experience either makes you stronger or it kills you and I’m still at it. So, the reason I mention this is that Buk, well, he had this gift. Many of his poems are timeless. I mean there’s no time stamp, almost no location markers. His poetry (and stories) could be about anywhere in the world. The same losers who populate every slum and after-work dive, every horse track, every “flop” can be found from Los Angeles to Rangoon. Sure, the language is different but what they talk about is the same. That was his draw. He could address that universal theme.So, I am not even remotely surprised at how accurate this poem, Dinosauria, We, is. After all, the themes are timeless, aren’t they? Buk’s been in the ground for nearly 30 years and he’s still relevant. I should be so lucky!

RD Armstrong, also known as Raindog, has been a poet for more than 50 years. In the past 25 years, he’s published thousands of poets from around the world and the United States. These days, he focuses his energy on procuring donations of personal protective equipment for homeless shelters, and money for poets in need, poetry centers and food banks — “much more rewarding!”