Charles Bukowski - Afternoon With Charles lyrics

An Action Afternoon

Harold Thane his drivers license said
They found him alone in the wooden walls
Beholden to a salt shaker, boiled potato
A third cup of tea from the same bag
And from his radio still came the sound of
A giant tonality of somebody's dead symphony
On his dresser a note:
"I drink my tea and wait for orange
Mornings or a spike through my head"
The spike was not through his head
They found him on the tile
To the bathroom floor
Ripped, slashed, gutted
Bone, meat, and dirty enamel
He was a poor housekeeper under
The sink they found beer and wine bottles, a
Bag of orange peelings
Old newspapers and the sink stank with
Dishes and stale creamy water
Some ants had come, some roaches
His drivers license had expired and he was
A week behind in the rent
As they took him outside
As they carried him through the doorway
The one o'clock in the afternoon ladies of
The neighborhood expressed their
Judgement, criticism, Cow-like horror
Horse-like joy
As two roaches clenched beneath
The sink and fucked