'New Mexico' by Charles Bukowski
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I was fairly drunk when it
began and I took out my bottle and used it
along the way. I was reading a week or two after
Kandel and I did not look quite as
pretty but
I brought it off and we
ended up at the Webbs, 6, 8, 10 of
us, and I drank scotch, wine, beer, tequila
and noticed a nice one sitting next to me -
one tooth missing when she smiled,
lovely, and I put my arm around her
and began loading her with bullshit.
when I awakened at 10 a.m. the next morning
I was in a strange house
in bed with this
woman. she was asleep but looked
familiar.
I got up and here was one kid running around in a
crib and another one running around the floor in
pajamas. I picked up a letter addressed to one
"Betsy R.", so I went back and said,
"hey, Betsy, there are kids running around all over
this place."
"oh Hank, damn it, I'm sick. I want to sleep, not
rap."
"but look, the ..."
"make yourself some
coffee."
I put the pot on and the little boy ran up in his
pajamas. I found a shirt and some pants and some
shoes and
dressed him.
then I cleaned a bottle with hot water, filled it
with milk and gave it to the kid in the
crib. he went for
it.
then I went in and squeezed her
hand. "I've got to go. are you all
right ?"
"yes, a little sick. but please don't feel
bad."
I called a yellow cab and we went back across
town.
is this what happened to
D. Thomas ? I thought.
if a man didn't think too much he could be proud of his little
conquests -
except that the women were better than we - asking nothing
as we squirted our poetry
our bullshit our
sperm to
them.
we were sick poets sick
people.
across town I knocked on the door of my host and
hostess.
"what happened ?" they
asked.
"nothing. got
lost."
they sat a beer in front of me
and I drank it as if I were
wordly:
a piece-of-ass
any-night
anywhere
type.
"somebody got a
cigarette ?" I asked.
"sure, sure."
I lit up and asked,
"heard from Creely
lately ?"
not giving a damn whether they had or
not.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Deep Dive into Charles Bukowski's "New Mexico": A Literary Interpretation
Have you ever read a poem that just hits you right in the gut? A poem that's so honest and raw that it feels like the author has reached inside you and pulled out your deepest fears and desires? For me, that poem is "New Mexico" by Charles Bukowski.
Bukowski is known for his gritty, unapologetic writing style, and "New Mexico" is no exception. The poem is a reflection on the harsh realities of life and the struggle to find meaning in a world that can often feel meaningless. But it's also a celebration of the beauty that can be found in simplicity and the power of human connection.
Let's take a deep dive into this classic poem and explore its themes, structure, and literary devices.
The Beauty in Simplicity
"New Mexico" begins with a description of the setting: a small town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by desert and mountains. The speaker describes the town as "dry and brown" and the people as "lonely and poor." But despite this bleak picture, there is a sense of beauty and wonder in the landscape. The mountains are described as "huge and ancient" and the sky as "endless and blue." There is a sense that even in this harsh, unforgiving environment, there is something worth admiring.
This theme of finding beauty in simplicity is central to the poem. The speaker reflects on a time when he and a woman he loved drove through the desert at night, listening to music and talking. There was nothing extraordinary about the moment, but it was filled with a sense of wonder and possibility. The speaker says:
we could have been
anywhere
but we were there
together
and that was enough
This passage perfectly captures the idea that sometimes the most meaningful moments in life are the ones that seem the most mundane. It's not about where you are or what you're doing, but who you're with and the connections you make.
The Search for Meaning
But "New Mexico" is not just a celebration of simplicity and connection. It's also a reflection on the struggle to find meaning in life. The speaker is acutely aware of the fragility of human existence, saying:
I have seen
the worst of everything
and the best
and it is somewhere in between
like a flower
fed by a corpse
like a poem
ignored by the world
This passage encapsulates the sense of desperation and hopelessness that pervades the poem. The speaker has seen the extremes of human experience, and yet he still feels lost and alone. He compares himself to a "poem ignored by the world," suggesting that he feels unseen and unappreciated.
But even in the face of this despair, there is a sense of resilience and determination. The speaker says:
I am alive
and I am here
and I will keep going
This passage is a reminder that even when life feels meaningless, there is still value in simply existing. There is a sense of defiance in the speaker's words, as if he is saying that even in the face of despair, he will not give up.
Literary Devices
Bukowski's writing style is characterized by its simplicity and directness, but there are still several literary devices at work in "New Mexico" that contribute to its power.
One of the most notable devices is repetition. Throughout the poem, certain phrases and images are repeated, creating a sense of rhythm and continuity. For example, the phrase "dry and brown" is used twice in the first stanza, emphasizing the harshness of the setting. The phrase "and that was enough" is used twice in the second stanza, emphasizing the importance of connection.
Another device at work in the poem is imagery. The descriptions of the landscape and the people are vivid and evocative, creating a sense of place and atmosphere. The image of the mountains as "huge and ancient" is particularly striking, as it emphasizes the timelessness and immensity of nature.
Finally, the poem makes use of metaphor and simile to create meaning. The comparison of a flower fed by a corpse to the struggle for meaning is a powerful and unsettling image. The image of a poem ignored by the world is also a potent metaphor for the sense of isolation and alienation that the speaker feels.
Conclusion
"New Mexico" is a poem that resonates deeply with me, and I think it speaks to a universal human experience. We all struggle to find meaning in life, and we all long for connection and simplicity. Bukowski's poem captures these themes with honesty and power, creating a work of art that is both beautiful and haunting.
As the poem says:
we have come through
and we will go through
again
This passage is a reminder that life is a journey, and even in the darkest moments, there is hope for the future. We may not always find the meaning we're looking for, but as long as we keep going, there is always the possibility of something more.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
New Mexico: A Poem of Freedom and Escape
Charles Bukowski, the legendary poet and writer, is known for his gritty, raw, and unapologetic style. His poems often explore the darker side of life, with themes of alcoholism, poverty, and loneliness. However, in his poem "New Mexico," Bukowski takes a different approach, celebrating the freedom and escape that the state of New Mexico represents.
The poem begins with the speaker expressing his desire to leave the city and head west to New Mexico. He describes the city as "a place where you can't breathe," a place where the air is polluted and the people are suffocating. He longs for the open spaces and clear skies of New Mexico, where he can "breathe deep and feel the sun."
The speaker's desire to escape is not just physical, but also emotional. He is tired of the "dead-end jobs" and the "dead-end women" that he encounters in the city. He wants to leave behind the "suits and ties" and the "phony smiles" and find a place where he can be himself.
New Mexico represents this place of freedom and escape for the speaker. He imagines driving through the state, with its "endless highways" and "mountains that touch the sky." He envisions himself stopping at a roadside diner, where he can "drink coffee and watch the world go by." In New Mexico, he can be free from the constraints of society and the expectations of others.
The poem also touches on the theme of mortality. The speaker acknowledges that he is getting older and that time is running out. He wants to make the most of his remaining years and not waste them on the meaningless pursuits of city life. He wants to "live fast and die young," to experience everything that life has to offer before it's too late.
Despite the poem's celebration of freedom and escape, there is also a sense of melancholy and longing. The speaker knows that he may never make it to New Mexico, that his dreams may remain just that – dreams. He acknowledges that "life is a gamble" and that there are no guarantees. He may never find the freedom and escape that he seeks.
In terms of form, the poem is written in free verse, with no set rhyme or meter. This reflects the speaker's desire for freedom and escape from the constraints of society and tradition. The lack of structure also gives the poem a sense of spontaneity and immediacy, as if the speaker is speaking directly to the reader.
The language of the poem is simple and direct, with short, declarative sentences. This reflects Bukowski's minimalist style, which emphasizes the essential and cuts out the extraneous. The language is also highly visual, with vivid descriptions of the city and New Mexico. This allows the reader to imagine the landscapes and scenes that the speaker is describing.
Overall, "New Mexico" is a poem that celebrates the freedom and escape that the state represents. It is a poem about the desire to break free from the constraints of society and tradition, to live life on one's own terms. It is a poem about the search for meaning and purpose in a world that can often feel suffocating and meaningless. And it is a poem that reminds us that life is short, and that we should make the most of the time that we have.
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