THE MAN AT THE PIANO

THE MAN AT THE PIANO
PLAYS A SONG
HE DIDN'T WRITE
SINGS WORDS
THAT AREN'T HIS
UPON A PIANO
HE DOESN'T OWN

WHILE
PEOPLE AT TABLES
EAT, DRINK AND TALK

THE MAN AT THE PIANO
FINISHES
TO NO APPLAUSE

THEN
BEGINS TO PLAY
A NEW SONG
HE DIDN'T WRITE
BEGINS TO SING
WORDS
THAT AREN'T HIS
UPON A PIANO
THAT ISN'T HIS

AS THE
PEOPLE AT THE TABLES
CONTINUE TO
EAT, DRINK AND TALK

WHEN
HE FINISHES
TO NO APPLAUSE
HE ANNOUNCES,
OVER THE MIKE, THAT HE IS
GOING TO TAKE
A TEN MINUTE BREAK

HE GOES
BACK TO THE MEN'S
ROOM
ENTERS
A TOILET BOOTH
BOLTS THE DOOR
SITS DOWN
PULLS OUT A JOINT
LIGHTS UP

HE'S GLAD
HE'S NOT
AT TME PIANO

AND THE
PEOPLE AT THE TABLES
EATING, DRINKING AND TALKING
ARE GLAD
HE ISN'T THERE
EITHER

THIS IS
THE WAY IT GOES
ALMOST EVERYWHERE
WITH EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING
AS FIERCELY
IN THE HIGHLANDS
THE
BLACK SWAN BURNS

Charles Bukowski 1981

For all you people who wake up every morning and expect your fraudulent existence to be found out.