If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it.

Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don’t do it.

If you’re doing it for money or fame, don’t do it.

If you’re doing it because you want women in your bed, don’t do it.

If it’s hard work just thinking about doing it, don’t do it.

If you have to wait for it to roar out of you, then wait patiently.

If it never does roar out of you, do something else.

Unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket,

unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder, don’t do it.

Unless the sun inside you is burning your gut, don’t do it.

When it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, It will do it by itself

and it will keep on doing it until you die

or it dies in you.

There is no other way.

And there never was.

~ Bukowski

http://theghostofpoetryfuture.tumblr.com/post/94880175400/remembering-bukowski-happy-birthday