Collage: A Question of Survival, 11 February 1980, douglas brent smith
part of this nutritious breakfast:
a quiet time an hour of thought
three sometimes four layers of
cereal in the bowl (always the
same bowl and the one spoon)
morning details to center the day
a strong slender tower rising
to face the resilient
serial motions of standing tall
a prayer before the first bite
vitamin, juice, black coffee
the soft gentle snoring of my son
in the next room peaceful, still
birds sing familiar tunes clapping
this day this tree of living this world
at five forty-five and the morning is alive
with details.
29 March 1988
All the horses in collageland - collage by douglas brent smith
Ever have a dog that has passed on? If so, you miss that dog, don't you. Dogs are such wonderful creatures, such perfect examples of unconditional love.
I'm mostly a cat person, but of the few dogs who have shared parts of my life, I miss them all.
If you have a dog, give it some attention. Watch that tail wag with joy. Smile.
-- doug smith
Cavalier Club at Large -- collage by douglas brent smith, 1995
From Journal #30, Operation Fresh Start, 1995.
NOTES:
I've owned (or co-owned) four Chevy Cavaliers and loved every single one. I've loved them so much that I even contemplated forming a Cavalier Club -- or maybe finding one that already existed. Such charming little cars. Basic, the last one I owned had wind-up windows. Fun to drive, a bit sporty without being too fast (can a car be too fast?).
My favorite was a blue 1987 station wagon version of a Cavalier. It had an old, permanent smell that was not at all unpleasant. I loved that car and commuting to work in Trevose in that car and it was named Bluebird. Sometimes I would sit in Bluebird and eat my lunch in the parking lot of UFLIC on Street Road.
I was recently in that parking lot again for a gig with CareerTrack and another for the college but I barely recognized the building or the lot because they had changed so much. Still, the vibes were good.
I always love my cars. I'll never have another Cavalier -- GM foolishly stopped manufacturing them (they keep discontinuing their best and most economical cars...) Pleasant memories.
That's a cavalier in the lower right hand corner of the collage.
-- doug
How Is All of this Possible? -- collage by douglas brent smith, 1995. From the journal Operation Fresh Start, 1995.
Have you ever thrown anything away and then regretted it?
i filled a dumpster
no
i filled a dumpster two times and
another dumpster, too
i didn't have permission and they
weren't my dumpsters but
it was always at night and
i wanted some things out of my life
foolishly
books. paintings. collages. tools. and
one really big relationship
deeper than any box
gone
a box filled with memories
set afire.
and no matter how much i dream i
cannot
retrieve that box.
-- douglas brent smith
You Know When It's Cool - sketch by douglas brent smith
Notes:
This is a sketch from one of my journals and as you can tell by the TV, an old one.