tone for the dance

you dance to any number of

different melodies

counterpoint included

shadows and obscure warnings aside

what matters is the moment of decision

the direction (the action)

the tree limb that bends in the wind

never curses the rain

it takes many different notes

to complete a symphony

and the twelve tones of reason

serve as aids not limitations

the only lies we tell (whispered to shadows)

as rests in the measure

(the measure of our beat)

the heat from growing pressure

cuts the tension with release.

-- douglas brent smith 

like glue

in the land of collage

the parts of the whole

are not merely parts

of the whole

touching convincingly

embracing connection

they ARE the whole

picture

functioning as one.

                                the vision

                                amounts

                                to

                                everything.

-- douglas brent smith

mist or sleep

sleepless resting

scattered flecks, invisible

wisdom floating

sending encoded messages

in slumberland tones

nearly imperceptable

the white noise of

unknown visitors

walking as ghosts

spirits in disguise

inside pulsing

faces in the mist

in the midst

of

eval

or

a

ion...

-- douglas brent smith

  

acceptance of collage land

she watched me

repeatedly

cutting random pictures from

stacks of magazines, old books,

catalogues, yearbooks, newspapers, and

never questioned

why

and

gave secret smiles and

all

was

right

whatever else we've done

you did make it more fun.

-- douglas brent smith

The Green Kiss of Departure - collage by douglas brent smith

 

Pillows to Soften the Blow

 Pillows to Soften the Blow - collage by douglas brent smith, from the journal The Yellow Ages, 1978

Notes:

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? I was once during a pillow fight. How is that even possible? Trust me, it is. Or, at least I blacked-out momentarily. I was here, and then I wasn't, and I can almost still see that goose down pillow headed for my face. It wasn't horrible. It was different. I would not recommend it and I would not do it again. All I could think at the time was "thank goodness that I didn't break my glasses."

Juvenile Spurts

 

Juvenile Spurts - sketch by douglas brent smith

in collageland

the cityscape

skyline triggers

figures certain

wild untamed

sophistication gathered

neon electric smoky fast

gathered 

                forces

forces our focus

beyond the eye's 

tries

for unity

into the scattered

invitation to collage.

-- douglas brent smith

 

Mysterious Strangers

 

Mysterious Strangers, douglas brent smith 1979

could be

maybe the cosmic

scheme of things

looks like a

jigsaw puzzle to

you because you

have a box

full of missing

pieces but they

could easily have

been found falling

from another puzzle

and together (if you

can picture this)

could be.

-- douglas brent smith

 

Grinding Nuts

 

Grinding Nuts - collage by douglas brent smith, 1978

perfect

 

she sits writing

notations thoughts reflections

in her journal and

i am filled with stillness she

is really here and

happy

quietly unassuming

as traffic on parkway pours

by with a steady flow

and she goes on

radiant, content, perfect.

-- douglas brent smith

Economic Logic

 Economic Logic - collage by douglas brent smith

krunkable

 

small wrinkles you get

from sleeping on one side

when you are young

they fade away

and later on

they are here to stay.

-- douglas brent smith