Bukowski Stories

Guy Ritchie meets Emir Kusturica-Balkan style! A humorous, gritty memoir, How to Find and Lose a Job in the Balkans, follows the chaotic daily life of a young man navigating the turbulent Balkan reality. No matter how hard he tries to find employment, he breathes a sigh of relief every time he loses it. A colorful parade of characters passes through his life, but the only constants are his love for women, booze, and above all, his grandmother. Perfect for fans of Guy Ritchie, Trainspotting, and Emir Kusturica's dark humor - unfiltered storytelling, Balkan style. Note: This book contains explicit language and profanity! Copyright © 2026 Zlatan Calminsky. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. This is a work of nonfiction.

A poem about heartbreak and loss.

This is my take on poetry, life, sanity and insanity.

A collection of hard fought thoughts and words composed through 30 some years of searching for stories in dive bars and empty bottles, across plains, hills, bayous and mountains of the midsouth - through lonerdom, loss and love. I have lived my life on my terms reaping the rewards and accepting the consequences. Documenting bits and pieces along the way mostly for my own enjoyment, but now I share some here with you. Your feedback is welcomed but not necessary. Thank you for reading.

Just a poem

To whoever I end up with, I want to smell my soap on you.

Toca el Piano Borracho Como Un Instrumento de Percusión Hasta Que Los Dedos Te Empiecen A Sangrar Un Poco ʺLo peor de todo es que algún tiempo después de mi muerte se me va a descubrir de verdad. Todos los que me tenían miedo o me odiaban cuando estaba vivo abrazarán de repente mi memoria. Mis palabras estarán en todas partes. Se crearan clubs sociales y sociedades. Será como para volverse loco. Se hará una película de mi vida. Me pintarán mucho más valiente de lo que soy y con mucho más talento del que tengo. Mucho más. Será como para hacer vomitar a los dioses. La especie humana lo exagera todo: a sus héroes, a sus enemigos, su importancia.ʺ Charles Bukowski

This poem was inspired by Charles Bukowski's poem "Cold Summer'. It is taking the same observational perspective of the time we have left. The thing that is more precious than gold or any other monetary value we place on physical items. Time is something we are gifted with but we don't know how much of it we have, but we seem to do a great job wasting a lot of it. Charles Bukowski's poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?contentId=38986 Photo: https://unsplash.com/photos/0rTCXZM7Xfo

On May 3rd 1666 Isaac Newton made a discovery that changed the world. We haven't been told the full story of what really happened that fateful day under the apple tree. A funny, entertaining tale of madness, strangeness and a smattering of science.

Bukowski-inspired story about a drunk who remembers a particular moment in his childhood.

10 more poems. !!!

A poem I wrote at the turn of the Century and it got second placement in the IBPC.