Go All the Way

Charles Bukowski

Go All the Way

If you're going to try, go all the way.
Otherwise, don't even start.

This could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs, and maybe your mind.

It could mean not eating for three or four days.
It could mean freezing on a park bench.

It could mean jail. It could mean derision.
It could mean mockery or isolation.

Isolation is the gift.

All the others are a test of your endurance
and of how much you really want to do it.

And you'll do it despite rejection and the worst odds.
And it will be better than anything else you can imagine.

If you're going to try, go all the way.
There is no other feeling like that.

You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.
You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.

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The poem "Go All the Way" by Charles Bukowski was written in the 1970s. This period was significant in Bukowski's career as a writer, as he gained recognition for his distinctive style and themes that often centred around the gritty realities of life, personal struggles, and the pursuit of individual freedom.

In the next few days, I will share why Bukowski is my favourite poet and what I have learned from him; till then, go all the way!