"It will rain all this night..."

[GDPR 4124]

Hello everybody,

I've got a quote here without a source. I am not sure if it even is Bukowski and I don't know whether if it's from a poem or a short story or a novel, but I like it. Here it is:

“It will rain all this night and we will sleep transfixed by the dark water as our blood runs through our fragile life.”

Does anybody know where this comes from? Please help.

 

[gbsupbowl]

"fragile life" doesn't sound like Bukowski

 

[skiroomalum]

I think that is Hank. Maybe from a late book. Sounds really familiar but once again I could be totally off the mark.
Mr. Solo?

 

[hoochmonkey9]

it's the poem "wondrous' from Bone Palace Ballet. pg. 361

 

[mjp]

"fragile life" doesn't sound like Bukowski

It may not be.

The poem being from Bone Palace Ballet means there is a good chance that many of those words didn't come from Bukowski.

We don't have a manuscript for that one, so I'd be hesitant to attribute the entire quote to Bukowski. That's just a sad fact of life where the posthumous books are concerned.

 

[skiroomalum]

Uh...Mr. Monkey I meant.

 

[roni]

"fragile life"

ain't no native speaker, but shouldn't it read "our fragile lifes"?

 

[hoochmonkey9]

John Martin is disguising himself as roni! Get him!

 

[mjp]

shouldn't it read "our fragile lifes"?

Our fragile lives.

And the more I hear it, the less it sounds like Bukowski. But without a manuscript there's no way to know.

 

[hoochmonkey9]

I think Our fragile life and Our fragile lives are both acceptable. Our fragile life meaning the common period that people share as a collective time and space.

 

[GDPR 4124]

Thanks for the help, guys.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately given the huge amount of editing done) I don't own a copy of Bone Palace. Does anyone know if the full poem is available online?

 

[hank solo]

It is ... here

 

[Skygazer]

I think Our fragile life and Our fragile lives are both acceptable. Our fragile life meaning the common period that people share as a collective time and space.

Yes I agree with that, fellow grammar geek.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Our fragile life meaning the common period that people share as a collective time and space.

Far out, man.

 

[zobraks]

It is ... here

Bloody Internet... When you click on that link nowadays, only this witticism pops up:

I have the poem offline (in a book,) I was just curious about the online version.

 

[gabilager]

they even left a funny message in the error page, the bastards. some https://archive.org/, maybe?