EACH FACES IT ALONE ― Charles Bukowski on Death

There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest — whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or twelve categories — comes afterward.”

— Albert Camus.

As Camus points out, the question of whether life is worth living is a bottomless philosophical question that requires us to explore the value and meaning of life. This quest can be really difficult to grapple with, as it forces us into confronting our own mortality and the inevitable end of our existence.

It can be tempting to avoid thinking about death and the meaning of life, but Camus argues that it is important to engage with these fundamental philosophical questions in order to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Even though Camus has been deceased for a long time, the “only truly serious philosophical question” still remains unresolved.

Many thinkers have shared their thoughts on the topic, but today we are focusing on Bukowski’s perspective. Let’s scrutinize what Bukowski had to say on the subject.

As far as I understand Bukowski, he was certainly against suicide. Instead, waiting for death was the path he preferred to follow.

Here is a Bukowski poem that captures the universal experience of waiting for the end during late adulthood and grappling with the difficult emotions that come with the thought of it.

Charles Bukowski On Death:―

The words have come and gone,
I sit ill.
the phone rings, the cats sleep.
Linda vacuums.
I am waiting to live,
waiting to die.
I wish I could ring in some bravery.
it’s a lousy fix
but the tree outside doesn’t know:
I watch it moving with the wind
in the late afternoon sun.
there’s nothing to declare here,
just a waiting.
each faces it alone.
Oh, I was once young,
Oh, I was once unbelievably
young!