the wishbone will never replace the backbone

there’s a bluebird in my heart
that wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there,
I’m not going to let anybody see you.

there’s a bluebird in my heart
that wants to get out
but I pur whiskey on him
and inhale cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that he’s in there.

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay down,
do you want to mess me up?
you want to screw up the works?
you want to blow my book sales in Europe?

there’s a bluebird in my heart
that wants to get out
but I’m too clever,
I only let him out at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little in there,
I haven’t quite let him die
and we sleep together like that
with our secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man weep,
but I don’t weep,
do you?

— Bluebird by Bukowski