“Alone With Everybody” is one of Charles Bukowski’s most well known poems. It explores the topic of loneliness, a common theme in his work.
Its cinematic quality, which is also found in much of his poetry, makes for the perfect fodder for filmmakers.
Related: Two Animated Videos Set to the Bukowski poem “Bluebird”
The poem has inspired a number of short films, and three of the best ones are embedded below, following the poem:
“Alone With Everybody”
the flesh covers the bone
and they put a mind
in there and
sometimes a soul,
and the women break
vases against the walls
and the men drink too
much
and nobody finds the
one
but keep
looking
crawling in and out
of beds.
flesh covers
the bone and the
flesh searches
for more than
flesh.
there’s no chance
at all:
we are all trapped
by a singular
fate.
nobody ever finds
the one.
the city dumps fill
the junkyards fill
the madhouses fill
the hospitals fill
the graveyards fill
nothing else
fills.
Watch the short films below, incorporating audio of a reading of Bukowski’s poem.
Alone with everybody – Charles Bukowski from Nick Bolton on Vimeo.
The final video is an award winning short wherein the poem is reinterpreted by Adrián Suárez. “Among all the poems of Bukowski, I chose ‘Alone With Everybody’ because it seems to be that it reflects a part of society,” the filmmaker told Directors Notes. “In general, his poems are very direct, with a fresh language free from any artifice.”
ALONE WITH EVERYBODY from mr.lausiv on Vimeo.
What did you think? Do you have a favorite? Tell us in the comments.
