Summary of Raw With Love by Charles Buzowski

The poem “Raw With Love” has been written by Charles Buzowski, a German-American poet who was a poet, a story writer and a columnist. He has written thousands of poems and short-stories, which were later published in form of 60 books. Here, I am going to analyse one of his most popular poems:

Raw With Love

little dark girl with
kind eyes
when it comes time to
use the knife
I won’t flinch and
I won’t blame
you,

In these lines, the poet is addressing his lover, whom he calls a “little dark girl with kind eyes”. He calls her a little girl as he thinks that she is someone who is under his power, and is much smaller than him in age and experience.  He calls her kind, to show that in comparison, he is cruel and overpowering. He says that he wouldn’t blame her for anything, if she tries to stab him with the knife that time has given in her hands.
as I drive along the shore alone
as the palms wave,
the ugly heavy palms,
as the living does not arrive
as the dead do not leave,
I won’t blame you,

The poet now says that there are a lot of things which irritates him, and he never blames her for those things. Like the way he is irritated with the endless palm trees when he drives along the shore alone. And the poet is also irritated by the fact that the living do not arrive soon, and the dead do not leave the earth after their life ends.He wouldn’t blame her for all those things; he doesn’t wish to blame her for all the things that irritates him.
instead
I will remember the kisses
our lips raw with love
and how you gave me
everything you had
and how I
offered you what was left of
me,

These are the most popular and beautiful lines of the poem, where the poet is trying to describe his relationship with her. He is trying to express the things that he loved in the relationship, which is going to stay with him forever. He says that he will remember the kisses that they shared. “our lips raw with love” are the most intense and beautiful line of the entire poem. In this sentence, the poet is trying to tell that their love is raw and unadulterated love, which is not polluted by hatred, anger, etc. Inspite of all the stress and hatred that they have against each other, when they show little gestures of love, it is pure and serene. The poet is trying to express that he has been damaged, and unhappy in his past. But the “little dark girl” has given her unconditional love to him, and the poet had given her all of the love and affection that he had left in his heart.
and I will remember your small room
the feel of you
the light in the window
your records
your books
our morning coffee
our noons our nights

In these lines, the poet is trying give an imagery of the moments they spent together in love and the memories that stays with him. He says that he will remember the small room where he stayed with the “little dark girl”, how he felt when she was around her, and how he felt when he touched her. He remembers the setting and feel of the room, her beloved things, and her belongings. He remembers how it was to spend time with her; to spend all his mornings, noon and nights. In the lines, “our morning coffee our noons our nights”, the poet is trying to show the transition of the mood with time. His days with her where the “mornings” were slow, the “noons” were lazy, and the “nights” were passionate.
our bodies spilled together
sleeping
the tiny flowing currents
immediate and forever
your leg my leg
your arm my arm
your smile and the warmth
of you
who made me laugh
again.

The poet is sharing an intimate expression in these lines. He is describing how he used to sleep with her. He is describing how their bodies were so comfortable around each other. How their arms and legs used to be intertwined, and they used to share the warmth of their bodies through the naked skin. These things made the poet happy again, which also gives a sense that the poet had a very destructive life before, where he was depressed, sad, and unhappy. The poet was hurt before, and had lost hope and happiness. But the “little dark girl” made him laugh again, by making him happy again.
little dark girl with kind eyes
you have no
knife. the knife is
mine and I won’t use it
yet.

In these lines, the poet is showing the power of dominance and authority, which is in his hands. The poet is trying to say that he has all the ways and strength to hurt her, and destroy her. But he wouldn’t do it yet. The knife is symbolic to the pain that he could cause her. But the poet is trying to tell that he wouldn’t do anything like that, as she is the reason why he was happy for some time, and how he loved being with her.

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