Boast about yourself. Bukowski's poems are filled with self-love and boasting. He's the best at everything he does. Everyone else appears inferior. If you find it difficult to boast about yourself, develop an alter ego, like Bukowski's "Chinaski." While Chinaski has nothing to come home to, but an empty refrigerator in a rooming house each day, he's a strong, misunderstood genius. No one is smarter than him. Bukowski uses the word "genius" to describe himself (or his alter ego Chinaski) in several poems. Take, for example, the poem titled: "The Genius of the Crowd." Bukowski employs third person narrative, which may be easier for poets who sturggle to write about themselves and their experiences in first person narrative.
Take the boasting to another level: Exaggerate. If you arm wrestled one man in your local tavern and lost, write a poem that describes arm wrestling six men and beating them all. Bukowski had a way of capturing the reader's attention with his blatant exaggerations. One has to look no further than the poem titled "Bad Times at the 3rd and Vermont Hotel," when Bukowski discusses kicking someone all the way to hell.
Write about women. Bukowski's poems are filled with humorous and sad tales of crazy women, lust, and love. Use imagery to describe the physical attributes of the women. Bukowski always described women's thighs, hair, eyes, and "flank."
Write about hardships. When things aren't going right, write a poem about it. Bukowski utilized his hardships to create poems like "No Help for That," and "Everything." By unleashing his frustrations with loss, death, and pain, Bukowski created poetry that the common man or woman can identify with.
Use daily experiences as motivation. Whether you're unlucky in love, lost your last ten dollars at the race track, or have a problem with alcohol, write it down and create a poem. Through poetry, Bukowski shared the details of his life. Write about the local tavern and the outlandish patrons. Describe the woman that broke your heart and took your dog. These are the experiences that helped Bukowski write poetry others could identify with.