Joe Brainard

Joe Brainard [htmlgiant]

from The Collected Writings of Joe Brainard:

The People

                       And the mountains shall bring peace to the people.

                                                                          — Psalm 72:3

Today I will uphold others with my prayers. Tomorrow I will let my light shine. And day after tomorrow I will help build up the Kingdom of God. I never plan more than two days ahead. For in all actuality, tomorrow is another day. I am a painter. And what I want to do most of all is to tell you all about the people. I love them. First I'll tell you a story about Mary Morey, and now my story's begun, I'll tell you another, about my brother. (“I just thought I'd add another crime to the family record by butchering my brother Jim with an axe in his bath!”) And now my story's done. However, I've another one.

Once upon a time ago (many years) a little cock-sparrow sat on a tree looking as happy as could be. Why not? A  boy came (John David Anthony) along with his wee bow and arrow, and said he, “I shall shoot dead that little cock-sparrow!” “His beautiful body will make me a nice little stew, and his giblets will make me a little pie too.” But, “No, no, no!” said the sparrow, “I won't make a stew.” And with a flap flap of the wings he flew flew flew. (Like fast in order to make Eggland on time ((six)) for a surprise ginger ale party for Wee Willie Winkie Pinkie upstairs and downstairs in his pink nightgown.) However, he didn't make it. On his way he met this little man, and he had a little gun, and his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead. And he shot the little cock-sparrow through the middle of his wig, and knocked it right off his head, head, head. It was immediate death. However, reports have it that the ginger ale went flat and Wee Willie Winkie Pinkie was in a terribly bad mood. (Depressed.)

You know, we are all living in troubled times, when peace seems almost impossible. One bright spot, however, is the growing awareness among Christians each and everywhere that we all belong to one big family — the family of Jesus Christ. I would like to close with this thought for tomorrow: “The best way of knowing God is to frequent the company of his friends.” (Compliments of Rita F. Snowden.)

However, I've more to say. I had a little nut tree, and nothing would it bear, but a purple purple apple and a silver golden pear. It was really frustrating. I’ve always been terribly fond of nuts. Ginger snaps. And butter cakes are good. However, I’ve always felt terribly sorry for brown chocolate trying to be unusual.

You know, what I really like about people is how good they are to look at. And how, with just a something or another you can love someone far far to easily. And sometimes those things just happen. Once one misty moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather, I chanced to meet this old man, dressed up all in leather. He began to compliment, and I began to grin. How do you do?, and How do you do?, and How do you do again?

I’m fine. But you know, some people don’t like things. However, I do. I shall never forget from my seat in the Royal Albert Hall (London, England) artist and instrument seemed fused into one. Yehudi Menuhin stood before me that night playing Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E Minor. It was really good! Existence becomes true real life when it merges with the lives of others. (People.) As Bernard Shaw wrote once something to the effect that the very worst of sins is not to hate them but to be indifferent to them. As I do remember correctly he described such indifference as “the essence of inhumanity.” Which is a rock if I ever saw one. For, for every evil under the sun, there is a remedy, or there is none. If there be one, find it, if there be none, mind it. But most important of all: Love the people, I do.

P.S. Higher than a house, higher than a tree, oh, whatever ever can that possibly be? (Star.) Which reminds me of my recent short trip to Dalmatia. During my recent short trip to Dalmatia I enjoyed walking along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It was a simply splendid evening. The moon sailed in the sky, and its light dispersed in thousands of pearls on the calm black surface of the sea. I’ve always loved black. And pearls excite me. However, I found the Adriatic to be rather large.