Cards of Christmas Past (Part 2)

This year's card is well under way. Until then, enjoy this little beauty from a few years ago. I was going for a style inspired by Frank Miller's Elektra Lives Again, Chinese brushwork, and coloring from I can't remember where. The poem came from one of my favorite Christmas Carols and is probably the best one I've ever written. Enjoy!

Do You Hear...

Do you dance in the wonder of new fallen snow

  or curse the cold wind and the ice-covered roads?

Do the lights and the sights make you feel like a child

  or the gripes and the fights make you want to go wild?

Is your mailbox filled up with kind cards of good cheer

  or fliers with specials and discounts and sales?

Are you happy when carolers knock at your door

  or lament the time spent on songs youˆ‚ve heard before?

Are the hustle and bustle a headache to bare

  or an essential part of the holiday fare?

Are you grateful for every gift that you get

  or ask for a receipt so you can return it?

Commotion or emotion; laughter or tears—

  do you hear sadness, or do you hear what I hear?

–Jeff Thomason, November 30, 2005