Poetic thoughts by and a few sent to Dennis O'Bryant

...when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

2003 Poem written in hospital waiting room while my father was in surgery

The Waiting Room

Far as I know

Re: Magical Moments

2005 Poem written about grafitti on a bathroom wall that made laugh all day

Graffiti

2003 Poem written on back of a city commission agenda

Nuke the Landscape

Today I gave God a ride to the SAVS-A-LOT and attended a Mexican Funeral

This Morning at work our young intern asked "Where would we keep the new razor blades?"
I said "I keep them in my truck for when I am out on a job, I'll go get you one."
As I walked to my truck there was a crippled black man walking towards me,
we met, shook hands and he asked me, "Where is the SAVS-A-LOT?"
I pointed way down the hill and said, "It's across the street from that busy intersection and to the right."
I looked at the little old man and his cane and asked, "Do you want a ride and do you have a way back?"
He said, "Yes, I am meeting someone there."
...so I loaded him up and drove him to the SAVS-A-LOT.
As I drove away I saw Rachel was looking through the office window with a question mark on her face,
"He was only going to get a razor blade out of his truck."
Mr. Marshall Batiste, born in Opelousas, Louisiana, lived in LA and came to Marshall 10 years ago when he was young.
He had to be at least 91 years old.
I dropped him off at the front door of the SAVS-A-LOT, and he said, "God bless you son",
I said "You too."
Got back to the shop and walked in with the razor blade and Rachel asked where I went
and I said, "I just gave GOD a ride to the SAVS-A-LOT."

.....later in the afternoon,

My neighbor Josea's brother died suddenly in an auto accident and I attended the funeral.
I did not know his brother, but Josea is my neighbor, my friend and my brother.
Family and friends were dressed mostly in black, there were tears, the same as most funerals.
The service was in Spanish and while.....Yo no hablo español bien, I understood every word that was said.
At the grave side service more words were spoken and then they lowered the casket into the grave while Hail Mary's were chanted in Spanish, the truck with very clean dirt filled the hole. Very sad for someone I had never met. I am sure that sadness was for my friend Josea and the loss of his brother. Powerful images and in a look back on today I don't know which of the two experiences, giving GOD a ride to the SAVS-A-LOT or shedding tears at a Mexican funeral had the most power but what I do know is that GOD is all powerful and I have been humbled in his prescence.

Dennis O'Bryant
2006-4-28

2004 Poem written the day before my father died

Fired under a Blue Moon

Casting out demons trying to steal your heart and soul
Winged Victory emerging from crushed passions remaining whole

Women arrive with wine to see other demons to be cast out
Continuing on the King's Road to make another mark no doubt

Grabbed the last Merlot before we left
Happy Birthday Miss M. Thanks for the gift

Smoke and Port as the process begins- God's bounty is art to behold
Raku burns, the blue moon rises and days such as this are made of gold

2007-6-3
Deno

Pearl

Tuesday is beef tips & rice at the P&J.
Turnip greens and creamed potatoes,
sweet tea with lemon and purple onions,
the regulars like me and Bo,
five tables and a new waitress
when I hear an inquiry about Pearl.
She was getting up in years,
tea to go and time to check out,
Jackie always says,
"Everything alright Dennis?"
Normally, "Oh yeah."
this time, "What's up with your mom?"

She died last night.

It was all I could do to choke back the tears...

You see I'm a regular at the P&J.
I'm the regular at the P&J.
Miss Pearl would be sitting at the back of the kitchen
shelling peas or skinning potatoes
while Regina and the girls would be dishing up the food
always a stoic look from a lady who had seen it all
but when you where at the register
and looking through the order window
there was Miss Pearl.

I would wave and she would wave back.

Monday night Miss Pearl went home.

She is the "P" in P&J.

for Jackie & Regina and all of the P&J family

P & J. Restaurant features down home cooking in a little house on a hill

February 17, 2008 by Maggie Martin

MARSHALL, Texas — When he is in town, George Foreman stops by P&J Restaurant for a home-cooked meal.

"He comes in and orders whatever I have on the menu," owner Jackie Franklin said.

That might be smothered pork chops, chicken and dressing, fried catfish or liver and onions.

Artist Dennis O'Bryant is a regular. "I eat here every day. It is always good, home cooked, hot and plenty of it. I am usually by myself, but I rarely eat alone," O'Bryant said.

Bryant's favorite entree? "Beef tips and rice. It melts in your mouth."

"you know yur a redneck when...experience"

The Perfect Spring Day

These last few months have been a blur, a trip to Amsterdam, an Art Show, crazy weather,

too much work at the shop but finally the perfect spring day to do some work in the yard.

Got out the implements of destruction, a fairly new lawn mower and the WEEDEATER 150 MPH

blower that Phil gave me for Christmas. Chopped, cut, pulled, raked and then blew it all in a pile

and cut it up again....and that was just the back yard.

Then I did the same thing to the front yard - hung some art and moved around some sculpture.

After I chopped, cut, pulled, raked and mowed the front yard - I blew the remnants in the street

and there was a good south by southwest tail wind and blew it all down the street.

Washed off the porch and thinking I had a pretty great day doing some spring cleaning. HELL - it's only 2!!

"HEY....I'll wash the truck and clean it out." The truck was road dirty inside and out from the wet weather

and many trips hauling art to Minden for the Art Show.

Cleaned the junk outta the back - found some hardware and miscellaneous metal items that I pick

up along my way. Emptied the inside - trash, blankets - etc...then, - - - - - THEN,

Well now let's wait a minute, next month I will have lived in Marshall, Texas for 13 years.

Sometimes I'm too cool for school but now I know I finally fit in when the decision was made to

clean my truck with my new blower. THE INSIDE OF MY TRUCK.

I started laughing as I opend the truck doors and cranked up the blower - man, my truck was full of

dirt, leaves, doghair amongsted other things. 150 mph really moves that stuff around and taking into

account that south by southwest tail wind, it actually did a decent job and I was fairly pleased with the results.

After I quit laughing about the "you know you're a redneck when...experience," (and here's the scary part

yet I'm kinda excited about) and that is cleaning the inside of my house with it. (after I go to wal-mart)

Dennis O'Bryant

2008-3-15

DENOART · · · evolution of an artist · · · the Art of Dennis O'Bryant

Artist

DENOART Studio

DENOART Sketchbook

DENOART Poetry

DENOART Photography

DENOART Paintings

DENOART Clay Art

2007 Raku Firings

2008 Raku Firings

DENOART Caddo

DENOART The Female

DENOART in Collections

DENOART obscura

...when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

"you know yur a redneck when...experience"