Mood Music

Late afternoon, Friday, July 31^st, listening

to Greek Music on my Amazon Echo. A

lovely device. I get to pick and choose any

genre of music to suit or change my mood.

This morning it was Copeland, Appalachian

Spring to soothe, and this afternoon spicing

things up with Manos Hadjidakis.

Reading Bukowski again. Although he writes

about a battered childhood at the hands of

an abusive father, and the ensuing depressed,

angry and lonely alcoholic life he led, I find his

style inspiring—simple and plain words, easy

for me to read and comprehend.

I can certainly relate to his alcoholic stupors

and depressive attitude. However, I can’t say

that I have ever reached the length and depths

of his despair. He was explicitly honest about his

lifelong revilement and abusive situation.

In fact, he not only recognized the gravity of

his condition, but he seemed to languish and

thrive in it. A prolific writer, he wrote obsessively,

trying with his blunt honesty to quell the fires of

his own personal hell.

Life for him could be no other way. And he knew

where his dark destiny would inevitably lead him.

So be it, as far as he was concerned. In his 73-years

of life, Bukowski managed to achieve notoriety and

financial success with his misery.

Perhaps I am inspired by his grievous writing, yet

can take some consolation in knowing that his pain

was far greater than mine. I too write with regular-

ity, feeding off the musical offerings of Copland and

Hadjidakis to comfort and soothe the musings of

my own misery.

                               -30-

Chris Hanch 8-1-2020

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