in the Valkerie Mountains
among the strutting peacocks
I found a flower
as large as my
head
and when I reached in to smell
it
I lost an earlobe
part of my nose
one eye
and half a pack of
cigarettes.
I came back
the next day
to hack the damned thing
down
but found it so
beautiful I
killed a
peacock instead.

-C Bukowski

A vivid depiction of the allure and danger of beauty, where the poet's initial curiosity leads to unexpected consequences. A powerful reflection on the complexities of desire and the choices we make in pursuit of it.