"Cold Summer" by Charles Bukowski is a poem that explores the theme of loneliness and isolation. The poem describes a cold summer, a season that is typically associated with warmth, sunshine, and joy, but in this case, the speaker experiences a cold and lonely summer. The speaker reflects on the emptiness of their life and the lack of connection and meaning that they feel. They long for companionship and a sense of belonging, but instead, they are left with only the cold and empty silence of their own thoughts. The poem paints a poignant picture of the pain and suffering that can result from feelings of loneliness and isolation, and it highlights the importance of finding connection and meaning in our lives. Despite the bleakness of the speaker's experience, the poem also suggests the possibility of hope and redemption, as the speaker struggles to find a way out of their loneliness and towards a more fulfilling and fulfilling life.

Read by Tom O'Bedlam.