Bukowski: when words are powerful

Capturing the essence of style

The essence of style is not easy to describe and to capture in sentences. But there is someone who brilliantly found the perfect words to frame it.

Thanks to Mary Portas, we have discovered the following piece by Charles Bukowski, which, she says, sums up her feelings on Style.
We found it fantastic! And so, we decided to share it here because Bukowski’s sharp words are really perfect.

“Style is the answer to everything,
A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous day,
To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it.
To do a dangerous thing with style, is what I call art.

Bullfighting can be an art.
Boxing can be an art.
Loving can be an art.
Opening a can of sardines can be an art.

Not many have style
Not many can keep style
I have seen dogs with more style than men,
Although not many dogs have style.
Cats have it with abundance.

When Hemingway put his brains to the wall with a shotgun, that was style.
For sometimes people give you style.
Joan of Arc had style.
John the Baptist,
Jesus,
Socrates,
Caesar,
García Lorca.

I have met men in jail with style.
I have met more men in jail with style than men out of jail.
Style is a difference, a way of doing, a way of being done.
Six herons standing quietly in a pool of water, or you, walking
out of the bathroom without seeing me.”

Yes, Bukowski definitely captured the essence of style in such a brilliant way.
And we really adore this piece!

Not only has he left us a great word of art, but this also reminds us of the importance of words in a world full of fake images.

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