there is enough treachery, hatred, violence,
absurdity in the average human being
to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man
the average woman
beware their love
their love is average, seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their
hatred to kill you, to kill anybody.
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy
anything that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
–Charles Bukowski, 1966