bukowski kept
a butcher
knife
taped to
the kitchen
door
not unlike
a fire extinguisher
where he could
rip it down
at anytime
& put out
the inner fire
once & for
all
but it stayed
there
floating
on the door
as it swung
back & forth
as he entered
to open another
bottle
of beer
& then returned
to his old desk
& filled
the ashtray
& punched
the machine
for him
for us
every one
of these acts
a postponed
removal of
the duct tape