balloons

any other night

flecked with flashes

small surprises

notes bouncing: balloons

circus light swoons

balloons off the wall

pop pop squeak and

pop balls (mostly

red) sticking to you

companions in your

dance

floating into the hundred

watt bulb and bursting

pop! pieces fall at

your feet flightless

balloons.

---------

NOTES:

Andy Laties and his sister, during his Child's Play days

My friend Andy Laties, author, bookseller, and musician extraordinaire, when he performed with me in Child's Play had an interesting practice of carrying black balloons in his pocket. He said that they were weather balloons because black is easier to see in the sky.

Andy carried these balloons and would randomly offer one to someone he'd just met. He'd pull it from his pocket, inflate it fast (a wind-instrument musician he has excellent breath control) and hand it to the stranger who would now be his friend. No conditions and no expectations, just a free black balloon.

Charming.

That has nothing to do with this poem, but mentioning balloons always reminds me of Andy.

Oh, and yes, you really should read Andy's books.

Book and Puppet Company: https://bookandpuppet.com/

Rebel Bookseller: https://bookandpuppet.com/item/JfyTu211AvS6DUwZrcr2Nw

Son of Rebel Bookseller: https://bookandpuppet.com/item/-xqxnISJ0wDCLnFHuj17yw

The Music Thief: https://bookandpuppet.com/item/QZ_xa5QNxDYVQiJrwkATPg

Living Ur Sonata: on Google books here.

A more recent photo of Andy

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Lighter Than Air

Lighter Than Air - acrylic painting by Douglas Brent Smith, November 1976. Notes: I don't have every painting I've ever painted. Some years ago I purged many of them. I like this one, though, and have it hanging in my apartment. It's whimsical. It's a painting in a painting. It has a top hat. It has balance, a candle, even a drop of blood. What else could you want in a painting?

Deep Thinker Thinking

Deep Thinker Thinking, drawing by douglas Brent smith, December 2001, from Journal #35, Mission Control, Volume Two, 2001 - 2002. Drawing helps me think. Thinking, sometimes, draws me to draw. It amazes me how few adults draw at all. Somewhere along the line in childhood they just stopped. We should all draw more and more often. Pencil, pen, crayon, whatever you've got. Instead of scrolling tonight, spend that time drawing a picture. Instead of wasting your time and feeling bad about it you've have a picture you can feel good about. It doesn't have to be great, it just has to be yours.

Creating on Illusion

Creating on Illusion - collage by Douglas Brent Smith Where's the illusion? What sleight of hand do we focus on? I think that I made this collage in 1989. That was so long ago and yet, in terms of illusions, not long at all. What do you think?

Song: Make Each Other Smile

Density

Density by Douglas Brent Smith

Gears of Joy

Gears of Joy, collage by Douglas Brent Smith This is page 305 of Journal #33, Life in Progress.

Filling the spaces

Filling the spaces, sketch by douglas brent smith, 1976 The doodle sketches of a busy time, from Journal#9, Midwest Blue, 1976-1977. Letting go, moving on, trying on Chicago for size, while also re-inventing in New Jersey. The notes on this page span a wide amount of time with notes for plays in Chicago and rehearsal with -- DD -- in NJ and a Polaroid picture of Annie herself, standing outside 2065 Pennington Road. Not sure that any of this is noteworthy much less art worthy but here it is anyway. History.

Sneegitz-mobile

Sneegitz-mobile -- sketch by douglas brent smith

Back Inner Cover

Back Inner Cover of Journal #33, Life In Progress, by Douglas Brent Smith, A collage that's not exactly a typical collage. It's what I often do with the back inner covers of my journals -- simply randomly put stickers, stamps, name tags, and other sticky objects.

Do The Work

Love only begins to start when the easy part is over. -- douglas brent smith

douglas brent smith

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