place in the heart?

[rich skibum]

I was at a young womans funeral recently on the back of the funeral mass info was a bukowski poem with the words small place in the heart . I can not for the life of me find this beautiful poem anywhere anyone out there know this work?

 

[mjp]

small place in the heart...

That line doesn't appear in any of Bukowski's poetry.

Unless the funeral handout was quoting a poem published in an obscure, unknown literary magazine. Which is possible, but pretty improbable. More likely is you're remembering it incorrectly or someone took something they heard or saw somewhere and stuck Bukowski's name on it. Which seems to happen quite often.

 

[number6horse]

I just Googled a few variations of that phrase and found nothing related to Bukowski. My gut tells me that someone probably mistakenly attributed the poem in question to Bukowski. Literary "experts" seem to rely on Facebook exclusively for this purpose - no disrespect to your friends there. In times of grief, these things can happen to anyone.

 

[zobraks]

a bukowski poem with the words small place in the heart ... anyone out there know this work?

That was probably his famous quote, "Find what you love, give it a small place in your heart, and let it kill & bury you."

Spoiler: P.S.

Maybe the quote wasn't so famous, but it will be famous from now on. Facebook, here it comes!

On the other hand (I'm serious now), it could well be the line:

there is a place in the heart that
will never be filled
...

from the poem No Help for That (You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense, page 26).

edit: since the link is dead, read the poem here:

Spoiler: No Help for That

 

[rich skibum]

Thanks that is the poem no help for that

 

[skiroomalum]

My imbecilic wingman scores!!!

 

[zobraks]

Hahahahahahahaha...
Right on, bro! :wb:

 

[number6horse]

You mean, my gut was WRONG ?!?! Dammit... that has to be the 22nd time that's ever happened to me.

 

[zobraks]

You're good, I stopped counting at my 57th time.
BTW, this poem used to be one of my favo(u)rite Buk poems until I realised people had started using it on funeral stationery.

P.S. Wouldn't this topic fit more properly in Name that poem?

 

[zobraks]

It seems that the guy who wrote this poem was one Charles Buchowski :confused:.
Source.