Hope ~ Dave

 Nov. 17, 2010 - I’ve been thinking of you a lot over the
past couple of weeks. The enclosed doodle is from one
of those times of meditation. I got some oil pastels and
was wanting to send you some beauty and hope. But
I'll just title it “Hope” as I'm not so sure about the
beauty part... I've never used oil pastels before, don't
have a clue, and with the goal being to use every
crayon in the box, I might have just sent you “bloopy
and plop.” :) Anyway, please accept this foray into oil
doodling as me fighting for you in spirit.… Get well,
K. Praying for you… D

Nov. 23, 2010 - I got your package in the mail
yesterday. The artwork is wonderful, thanks for that. It
harkens back to the middle of the impressionist
period, one of my favourites. And there is beauty and
hope in there. I've put it in a prominent place in my
office, and I'll gaze at it daily. I'm touched and inspired
that you thought of me in this way. I miss you guys
over there…. Driving that much… seemed like a bad
idea in light of what I'm going through… Though,
with beauty and hope (well, more hope than beauty) I
have every intention of seeing you guys…. My love
and best wishes to everyone…. K

Resurfacing (for Judy) ~ Dave

On a bridge by a rapid stream
Barefoot, my sister and me
The river swims underneath
These old, sunburned roads
Hot buzzing and harmless bees
Fleeing, fussing and skinning our knees
In these veins and capillaries,
These memories of home...

These old roads (they go where the river flows)
These old roads (resurfacing)
These old roads (they go where they always go)
These old roads (and me)

There’s a wasp in my rear-view mirror
I’m scared and I’m trying to steer clear
Out on this blacktop road
In the holiday sun
I’ll poke at these power windows
I’ll stir it up—and hope that it goes away
Like hot stirrups and stinging goads,
So many ways to get stung...

But I’m taking a ride tonight
There’s a crossroads where I just might
Blaze a trail to something…

lyrics: “These Old Roads”
Dave Thompson, “found.Wanting.”

Of Two Minds ~ Dave

love is a t.v. screen
staring across the floor
love is stale caffeine
love is a tragedy
slamming another door
love is nicotine
and he could light his cigarette,
and wait here for her silhouette

but he’s not Romeo, oh no
and she’s not Juliet

love was a magazine
promising so much more
love was seventeen
but love is a cold machine
slip through the back screen-door
love is so unclean
and she could light her cigarette,
and wait here for his silhouette

but he’s not Romeo, oh no
and she’s not Juliet

gonna break this habit
leave that light on down the hall
gonna break this habit
once and for all

love is another scene
spilling across the floor
love is gasoline…

but he’s not Romeo, oh no
and she’s not Juliet

lyrics: “Romeo and Juliet II”
Dave Thompson, “found.Wanting.”

I Suffer From Mental Illness ~ Story by Paul, Illustrated by Dave