In het onvolprezen kunsttijdschrift Mr Motley (lees dat blad toch, mensen) stond een gedicht van Charles Bukowski: ‘The Genius Of The Crowd’. Het is meer een pamflet met wijsheden dan bellettrie. Hoor hoe Bukowski zelf het voorleest en lees verderop de tekst nog eens na.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gifEn61dZBc
There Is Enough Treachery, Hatred, Violence,
Absurdity In The Average Human Being
To Supply Any Given Army On Any Given Day.
AND The Best At Murder Are Those Who Preach Against It.
AND The Best At Hate Are Those Who Preach LOVE
AND THE BEST AT WAR
-FINALLY- ARE THOSE WHO PREACH
PEACE
Those Who Preach God
Need God
Those Who Preach Peace
Do Not Have Peace
Those Who Preach Peace
Do Not Have Love
Beware The Preachers
Beware The Knowers
Beware Those Who Are Always Reading Books
Beware Those Who Either Detest Poverty
Or Are Proud Of It
Beware Those Quick To Praise
For They Need Praise In Return
Beware Those Who Are Quick To Censor
They Are Afraid Of What They Do Not Know
Beware Those Who Seek Constant Crowds For
They Are Nothing Alone
Beware
The Average Man
The Average Woman
BEWARE Their Love
Their love is Average, seeks
Average
But There Is Genius In Their Hatred
There Is Enough Genius In Their
Hatred To Kill You, To Kill
Anybody.
Not Wanting Solitude
Not Understanding Solitude
They Will Attempt To Destroy
Anything
That Differs
From Their Own
Not Being Able
To Create Art
They Will Not
Understand Art
They Will Consider Their Failure
As Creators
Only As A Failure
Of The World
Not Being Able To Love Fully
They Will BELIEVE Your Love
Incomplete
AND THEN THEY WILL HATE
YOU
And Their Hatred Will Be Perfect
Like A Shining Diamond
Like A Knife
Like A Mountain
LIKE A TIGER
LIKE Hemlock
Their Finest
ART
The Genius of the Crowd (1966)
Noot: het viel me op dat uit het filmpje de strofen vanaf “Those Who Preach God Need God” tot en met “They Are Nothing Alone” misten. Raar. Is dat censuur of is het een andere versie?