Charles Bukowski
My Friend Andre (Live)
This kid used to teach at Kansas U
Then they moved him out, he went to a bean factory
Then he and his wife moved to the coast, she got a job and worked a while
He looked for a job as an actor
"I really want to be an actor," He told me
"That's all I want to be"
He came by with his wife
He came by alone
The streets around here are full of guys who want to be actors
I saw him yesterday
He was rolling cigarettes, I poured him some white wine
"My wife is getting tired of waiting," He said
"I'm going to teach karate"
His hands were all swollen from hitting them against bricks, and walls, and doors
He told me about some of the great oriental fighters
The was one guy got so good, he could turn his head one hundred and eighty degrees to see who was behind him
"That's very hard to do," He said
It's more difficult to fight four men properly placed than to fight many more
When you have many more, they get in each other's way and a good fighter who has much strength and agility can do well
"Some of the great fighters," He said
"Even attempt to suck their balls into their body. This can be done, to some extent, because there are natural cavities in the body"
"If you stand upside-down you will notice this"
I gave him a little more white wine, then he left
You know, sometimes making it with a typewriter isn't so painful after all