Neil Gaiman’s poem "100 Words" has long been one of my favorite reflections on the inevitable passing through the veils...
A hundred words to talk of death?
At once too much and not enough.
My plans beyond that final breath
are currently a little rough.
The dying thing comes on so slow:
reluctance to get out of bed
is magnified each day and so
transmuted into dead.
I dream of dying all alone,
nobody there to watch me pass
nothing remains for me to own,
no breath remains to fog the glass.
And when I do put down my pen
my memories will fly like birds.
When I am done, when I am dead,
and finished with my hundred words.
Earlier this year, the CBLDF and I approached one of my personal art heroes, Jim Lee. about illustrating Neil's poem. Jim's attention to detail is riveting, from the tiny etched bottles on the shelves to the faint hint of a skull hiding under a beautiful face.
We now share it with you. (click on image to see bigger)
here is Neil holding it!
Five dollars from each print will benefit the CBLDF, our steadfast friends in the east who are there in the light and in the darkness, fighting for our civil rights.
Featuring ever-precise lettering by Todd Klein, who brought Neil's words so vividly to life in Sandman.
This piece measures 10" x 28" printed in soy ink on heavy 100% recycled archival stock, with a 1" & 2" white border around the art for breathing room. The flecks in the paper are indicative of the recycled nature. I think it adds to the beauty. This is a limited print edition with a numbered run of 750.
This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 19 November, 2009.
