clever

the clever people climb downstream like
white fish
through the blue water,
past the rapids,
the clever people
with their clever throats and eyebrows,
their clever nostril hairs,
both shoes laced,
all dooms erased,
teeth white,
the clever people slide cleanly,
even their deaths are one-tenth deaths,
clever clever clever
they have better walls,
better cars,
a better way to laugh.
ever their nightmares are ringed with
tinsel,
these clever ones,
they sit across from you,
whitely smiling,
full of it,
even the the hair on their head
glints cleanly.
how long have I lived and looked
upon them.
do you know what death really is?
it's one of these clever
cocksuckers
shaking your hand and
embracing
you.
you know what death really
is?
come see me
as I slip the Gold Card
to the waiter
while
disliking
you. or
worse.

-Charles Bukowski