What Is Real?

 What Is Real? sketch by douglas brent smith, (1977)

Notes:

Cece and I used to play a word game we called "What Is Real?" The idea was that we were all living in a movie, or simulation, or game, and only some of us and some things are real. It seemed a bit advanced for 1977 but I was reading a lot of science fiction at the time and Cece has always had a very open, very curious, very creative mind. It was fun.

We'd also draw pictures, sometimes using a surrealist technique known as "exquisite corpse" where you each draw half of the picture, without seeing what the other person has drawn. The paper is folded in half with a couple of lines visible on both halves to show you where to connect the pictures. It was also fun.

These sketches are just doodles from one of my journals.

auto nuts

some folks have no business

inside an automobile

they drive like crazy demons

flaming nuts behind the wheel

they brake too soon

and turn too late

to tease the highway

horror fate

and one day after nine to five

they'll crush another once alive

a crash at eighty painfully

let's hope it's neither you or me.

-- douglas brent smith

 

softly

oh

the adventure

of each evening

easing softly

into your arms

feeling gently

the warmth

you offer

the touch and kiss

of loving

the cool sweet

comfort of

trusting

openly (such

open) wings

taking flight

soaring with

splendor in bliss-

filled union

oh

the pleasure

of each passion

easing softly

into you.

-- douglas brent smith

 

paradise lane

quickly spent all my money

at a bar on paradise lane

slipping jacks and kings to Fack

drinking gin to ease the pain

a redhead at the jukebox

tossed a glance and smile at me

but my libido was incognito

and my head was out to sea

four sheets to the wind

dreaming other people's sins

and counting on my quarters

all the places that i'd been

my hat's my only date tonight

my buddy's got the bucks

i've got a sweetheart in Chicago

who i'm counting on for luck

but it's long past midnight and i'm officially flagged

drinking shots and eating slices of that cheese tomato pie.

-- douglas brent smith

More of the Pipe Saga

 

Sketch by doug smith.

the cult

she went to college to earn her degree

but midway thru was convinced to run free 

some search from within for better results

landed her awkwardly inside a cult

now she's selling flowers to the cars at the light

her parents convinced that her choice wasn't right

like a zombie stone-faced tied to the cause

the mission requires she side-step the law

there must be a dozen or more deep inside

armed and well drilled they are ready to fight

the blockade does not even phase them a bit

they shout to the masses that they will never quit

two dozen people on one long lost trip

grappling for reason and feeling it slip

outgunned and outnumbered they were all apprehended

the planned revolution was thoroughly ended.

-- douglas brent smith

there at last

brick by brick the

hard high wall around me

began to fall

with music so soft

only intimate ears

could hear

when with that wonderful

tenderness so overflowing in you

you touched my aching

concrete cynicism

and kissed my world weary

mind into dreams

of singing

laughs of growing

and joys

of being alive

like each bare brick

of that wall

you slowly, oh so

carefully dismounted the doubts

freed the fears

and with quiet little steps

entered my heart

in a halo of rebirth

revealing that

there were once two loves in my

crowded carefully plotted

closed-hearted life:

my rusted roaming van and my

faithful guitar and

now

as sunrise welcomes Spring as

living brings new growth

i joyfully see

three.

-- douglas brent smith

 

A Pipe Organ

 

sketch: Pipe Organ (More of the Pipe Saga), by douglas brent smith

During the period of time when I occasionally drew an addition to the Pipe Saga, my dad smoked a pipe. He had sense to quit later, but while he did the smell was wonderful. The pipes I drew were humorous and with a nod to the surrealists, especially Magritte who was at the time perhaps my favorite artist. 

On a more fantastical note, I really would like to play that pipe organ, wouldn't you?

H.B.E.

(pretty little almond eyes

sleeping next to me

breathing such sweet loving sighs

questionless and free

pretty little almond eyes

snuggle close to me)

with unexpected joy i find you with

your welcoming radiance

a once illusive happiness

floods into my soul

reckless and free

a thousand wild laughing tingles

glowing from the flow

of days with you

and nights with you

and secrets we both know

(high brown eyes

h.b.e.

waking next to me

whispering about your dreams

such sweet certainty

pretty little almond eyes

share this world with me.)

-- douglas brent smith

 

Analysis Sketch with Stars

 

Analysis Training Sketch with Stars, from journal #12, Never Doubt (1978).

Sketch: Early Mustard Seed Theatre Company

 sketch from journal #12, never doubt, 1978.

This is a drawing of Peter Hoff (now known as Zeke Peterhoff, and me, wearing our Mustard Seed Theatre Company T-shirts and apparently juggling with our minds.

Good times.

and the radio played

sunlight shimmers in

her eyes her

breasts dance with

each tiny breath

whispering

my name

-- doug smith

 

Making Ends Meet

Notes:

It was a lean time, surviving on peanut butter, pasta, and soup and enjoying the freedom that a wide-open schedule provided where even at work I could draw, write, compose. Ah, but I was young and my sense of humor perhaps more crude than good and cartoons like this resulted. 

It's silly, but there it is.

caught

if you catch me

counting stars

some night

when i should be

gazing into your eyes

or if a tear drop

forms when we

should be 

celebrating

chalk it up

to mystery

or a muse chasing

escaping vibrations

but never blame your

self and never doubt

our love.

-- douglas brent smith

 

Mysterious Towers

Notes:

I remember as a child being fascinating by the concept of Figures in text books. Illustrations were often labeled Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. I wondered, "why don't they just print the title of the picture?" but never found out.

In fun and tribute, I named this doodle Figure 1. It appears in journal #12, never doubt, 1978.