Roll the Dice
I'm new here, so forgive me if this isn't an appropriate place to post the following.
This is a poem by Charles Bukowski, who was, for those who know, an alcoholic's alcoholic. He wrote poetry about drinking beer in the early afternoon and about his elation when his doctor said his drinking wasn't putting his health into jeopardy. This, though, is atypical from most of his writing.
I hope someone, anyone, will find this inspirational.
"Roll The Dice"
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
otherwise, don’t even start.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.
go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance,
of how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.
if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.
do it, do it, do it.
do it.
all the way
all the way.
you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter,
its the only good fight
there is.