And it seems people should not build houses anymore it seems people should stop working and sit in small rooms on second floor sunder electric lights without shades;it seems there is a lot to forget and a lot not to do and in drugstores, markets, bars, the people are tired, they do not want to move, and I stand there at night and look through this house and the house does not want to be built

— Charles Bukowski

And love is a word used too much andmuchtoo soon.

— Charles Bukowski

And our few good times will be rare because we have the critical sense and are not easy to fool with laughter

— Charles Bukowski

And then she would smile, to show me how, and it was the saddest smile I ever saw.

— Charles Bukowski

And when love came to us twice and lied to us twice we decided to never love again that was fair to us and fair to love itself. We ask for no mercy or no miracles; we are strong enough to live and to die and to kill flies, attend the boxing matches, go to the racetrack, live on luck and skill, get alone, get alone often, and if you can't sleep alone be careful of the words you speak in your sleep; and ask for no mercy no miracles; and don't forget: time is meant to be wasted, love fail sand death is useless.

— Charles Bukowski

Animals are inspirational. They don’t know how to lie. They are natural forces.

— Charles Bukowski

Animals never worry about Heaven or Hell. Neither do I. maybe that's why we get along

— Charles Bukowski

An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.

— Charles Bukowski

Anything, anything to stop drowning in this dull, trivial and cowardly existence.

— Charles Bukowski

Are there good governments and bad governments? No, there are only bad governments and worse governments.

— Charles Bukowski