The Crunch

            Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) was a German-American writer and poet known for depicting the harsh reality of American life. His writing is abrasive and blunt, yet often humorous, and even endearing, at times. "The Crunch", a poem written by Bukowski, perfectly displays each of these characteristics. One of my favorites, the poem, like many of Bukowski’s poems, has been reworked and republished several different times in several different collections. “The Crunch” is a beautiful depiction of loneliness and despair, with a touch of humor and a sliver of hope.

            “Too much / too little / or not enough”, the opening words of the poem, have always caught my attention. There is something attractive in them, though I do not know what it is, that begs you to keep reading. As you continue, Bukowski brutally describes scenes of war, of isolation, and of sorrow. He writes, “there are people so tired / so strafed / so mutilated by love or no / love / that buying a bargain can of tuna / in a supermarket / is their greatest moment / their greatest victory”. He lists things that the world needs less of: brilliance, instruction, and humorously, “less Bukowskies”. He describes things we do “need”, to lessen the blow. Throughout the poem, Bukowski repeats the line “people are not good to each other”. Depending on which version you read, Bukowski allows for some semblance of hope, that there “must be a way”. “The Crunch” depicts a world of war, of love, of hate, of ignobility, of honesty, of loneliness, of poverty, of chance, of cruelty, of hope, of reality. A real world, our world.