History Counsels Patience, 2001. Acrylic and collage on canvas.
The title of David Buller's final painting comes from W.H. Auden's 1971 poem, Loneliness:
"History counsels patience;
Tyrants come, like plagues, but none
Can rule the roost forever."
In the context of an unsolved murder case, the grim irony of these "last words" isn't lost on us. Over the years, we've taken solace in Auden's reference to patience, knowing that the truth of what happened to David will surface in time.