Who Is “Bluebird” Bukowski?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 24, 2020

“Bluebird” Bukowski refers to noted American poet and author Charles Bukowski, who wrote a poem titled “Bluebird.” In the poem, Bukowski acknowledges a small, bluebird-like center to his emotional make-up that he keeps out of sight of others.

Generally, Bukowski’s work encompasses the lives of average Americans struggling with life and with vices like alcoholism. His treatment, however, is said to be a celebration of that life, rather than moralizing about how to improve or avoid its degradations. In “Bluebird,” for example, the poet describes how he treats his internal bluebird: “…pour whiskey on him and inhale / cigarette smoke.”