Bill Said Yes

Bill Said Yes

 Bill Said Yes - collage by douglas brent smith, 3 January 1987


Notes:
Originally titles "George Said Yes" but clearly that is Bill (I think it might be the actor Bill Irwin) and Bill is being asked a question, to which he enthusiastically answers "Yes!"


Extend Your Reach

 

Extend Your Reach

Extend Your Reach - collage by douglas brent smith, 25 December 1987

one night on the beach

i said to you

our shoes in the sand

your hand in my hand

in a trance of truth


i said to you

my best inner secrets

as the sun set

and a light breeze

caught your brown hair

remarkable


i said to you

touching your cheek with care

like a leaf

whispering what

i should have said

years ago


there is love that

may be delayed

but not denied


true then, true on that beach.

true still.



-- douglas brent smith


Chaos In The Middle

 

Chaos In The Middle

Chaos In The Middle - sketch by douglas brent smith (with help from Christopher Morgan Cizewski Smith.

A Cast of Thousands at Play

A Cast of Thousands at Play

 A Cast of Thousands at Play -- sketch by douglas brent smith

notes from an out of tune piano

the left hand starts

a bass line avoiding

familiar notes, for accidentals

the right hand takes a ride


let me sing of your changes (andante)

swell...swell...who can tell?

let me glissando your joys (forte!)


and then mid-transposition

the two of us harmonize

and bring all the mystery

down to size,


 -- douglas brent smith


poison water

white cloud blue sky sudden darkness

odor from a distant unknown source

bitter tasting, no permission

chemicals drifted in a virgin course


like a losing hand played to a devil's trick

for no reason half the town is sick

a stranger talking in a legal voice

bottled water is the only choice


dark days dry from a ruined well

twenty square miles of obnoxious smell

poison water makes a person think

tainted life line not a drop to drink. 


-- douglas brent smith


Tango Rango

 

Tango Rango
Tango Rango - sketch by douglas brent smith

hey you


i found you before

life left any dents before

the form found flaws and

with open wonderment alive and

ready for more


you found me ready

for new forms fresh foundation

sparks! light! early morning smiles

receiving all the giving and living

ready for more


every past piece of effort faded

as we created this new kind of kiss

tighter and sweeter and slightly awkward

youthfully extending our freely found

arms around gladness hey you hey you


we found each other ready

for each other

and did not let go.




-- douglas brent smith


bizarre ensemble duo

bizarre ensemble duo

 bizarre ensemble duo -- sketch by douglas brent smith,  from "the bizarre chronicles, volume one" 1984

Vans In Space

Vans In Space - collage by douglas brent smith

 Vans In Space - collage by douglas brent smith

anonymous, take a number

 

i am not anonymous

i am not a number you can push around

so get off my back!


do not pigeon-hole me or

patronize me or

i'll come unglued


not the common man

i get uncommon as often as i can

so stop measuring me

reassuringly


i am not anonymous

i am not a number you can push around

so get off my back!





-- douglas brent smith


How Did I Get This Job?

  How Did I Get This Job? - collage by douglas brent smith, 27 December 1987