John Paul White

there's a bluebird in my heart that

  wants to get out

  but I'm too tough for him,

  I say, stay in there, I'm not going

  to let anybody see

  you.



there's a bluebird in my heart that

  wants to get out

  but I pour whiskey on him and inhale

  cigarette smoke

  and the whores and the bartenders

  and the grocery clerks

  never know that

  he's

  in there.



there's a bluebird in my heart that

  wants to get out

  but I'm too tough for him,

  I say,

  stay down, do you want to mess

  me up?

  you want to screw up the

  works?

  you want to blow my book sales in

  Europe?



there's a bluebird in my heart that

  wants to get out

  but I'm too clever, I only let him out

  at night sometimes

  when everybody's asleep.

  I say, I know that you're there,

  so don't be

  sad.

  then I put him back,

  but he's singing a little

  in there, I haven't quite let him

  die

  and we sleep together like

  that

  with our

  secret pact

  and it's nice enough to

  make a man

  weep, but I don't

  weep, do

  you?



- bluebird

- charles bukowski