While You Dream In Ashes

Is it ironic
that Bukowski's gravestone
tells us "Don't Try"?

Just do
and in so doing give birth
to here and now

here and now, two incontrovertible facts
two illusions
such is life

don't try, do

so here goes

once upon a time
or
back in the good old days
or
in the beginning there was,
 or
it started with a mistake

the mistake was the effort
the straining of the eyes
to make the fuzzy real
resulting only in a tension headache

So do becomes a question
and do not becomes a choice

Bukowski says don't try
Bulgakov says burn all he's written
and Barrons, the momo?  The imposter?

         he says burn it all
            and try to dream
            while you sleep in ashes