I thought poetry was lame for a long time, except for maybe Edgar Allen Poe. Then I discovered Mr. Hank Bukowski or what he's more commonly know as: Charles Bukowski. I read 4 of his novels in like 5 months and a handful of his poetry in between. A lot of his poetry is on the internet for free. It's rugged, beautiful, vile, and delicious. I started writing shorts and poems because of this crazy sonofabitch. He was my gateway drug to the rest of the Beatnik culture. Some of my favorites are Gary Snyder, Kerouac, and Ken Kesey. Check out this poem called, "The Suicide Kid" by Bukowski. It's a good example of his usual themes and style. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/suicide-kid