Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 29-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
She used to work days at the counter. He sunken cheeks, paint flecks on his clothes, rubbed the dust from his hair and went down to meet her. Together they drove home.
Her ambition faded. Her ambition slipped away.
After that she used to work part time in an office. He built things that other people wanted. He couldn’t keep them for himself. He paid exactly half their bills. She began to move like him and picked up all his habits. He developed a fondness for rare wood from mainland China. Any extra time he had, he spent sharpening his tools.
Her ambition faded. Her ambition slipped away.
She can’t stop the dullness. Something slowly rotting in her box of souvenirs. She finds a token of her ambition and rolls it in her hands. She rolls it in her hands and like her plans –like her desire—it disappears. It disappears.
Her ambition faded. Her ambition slipped away.
“Her Ambition,” from The Eagle & The Poodle (Matador, 1996; Smarten UP!, 2009) (download):
