Throwing Away the Alarm Clock

Charles Bukowski

my father always said, “early to bed and

early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy

and wise.”

it was lights out at 8 p.m. in our house

and we were up at dawn to the smell of

coffee, frying bacon and scrambled

eggs.

my father followed this general routine

for a lifetime and died young, broke,

and, I think, not too

wise.

taking note, I rejected his advice and it

became, for me, late to bed and late

to rise.

now, I’m not saying that I’ve conquered

the world but I’ve avoided

numberless early traffic jams, bypassed some

common pitfalls

and have met some strange, wonderful

people

one of whom

was

myself-someone my father

never

knew.