Poems on Charles Bukowski by Top Critiquers

Charles Bukowski, 18th Century Polish-
Lithuanian Commonwealth, ragman    
       
eschewed obligation, wealth      
  lived off persimmons, wild berries—        
  discerned the nuthatch's ballad;      
her blue-coat worn to overthrow      
[ their ] government;        
  but, nested his heart instead;      
       
he couldn't source tone        
  after that—       
indelible as an aria        
  tuned in nonetheless        
  vibrating hollow bone        
every        
     60 seconds—      ...

Could be my dog
Could be my wife
Could be my mistress
Could be my muse
Could be my massage therapist
Could be my dry cleaner
Could be my cardiologist
Could be
Or
?

Don’t try
It may imply that you’re giving yourself some wiggle room
In case you fail
There may be some obstacles too big to overcome
Therefore it questions your dedication
Your determination to get it done

Don’t half ass it and then expect to get great returns
Nothing special comes out of mediocrity
It is as they say, you reap what you sow
And if your mode is to be average
You’ll never stand out, if you know what I mean

I guess the important thing here is to be honest
Do you really want to accomplish what you set out to...