Poet, Songwriter, Artist
Purpose
Here is something
of the moment
I’ve pulled from
the air for you
From the bone dry
recesses of a mind
begging to burn again
with romantic ideas
that this world
could never live up to
To pull up
and out of my pessimism,
not with a mouthful
of self-help clichés,
but led again by
my own sparking curiosity
Here, little birds,
on the other side
of unimaginable loss
is what remains:
The lifting of the veil,
your once forgotten dreams
staring back
-Brandon White
Unfinished:
Chain fried chicken
and fresh stress,
chasing dollars though
I swore I never would
That was pre-children
and pre-family death explosion
that sent everything familiar
in a thousand different directions
Red light
Stop and stare
into unfamiliar eyes
reflecting
on old dreams
searching for a pulse
Get clean
Get clear
All these
unfinished things
stirring
somewhere
-Brandon White
Exit 8
The sky
was an oil painting
and I was stoned
and terrified
doing 80
down i40,
as close
to Hunter S. Thompson
as I'll ever be
In between
moments of sheer panic,
I thought of poetry and art
and how older men confused
by such things
are just older men afraid
of being swallowed up
by a world that never cared
to be understood
I squealed like a child
on exit 8
I spun round and round
careless and unworthy
of my blessings
wrapped in the arms
of my shame
When the car straightened
I wiped away tears
-Brandon White
Enough
Maybe this is all it'll take
for the wall between the words
and I to come crumbling down
to feel myself giving up ground
to the anxiety I naively
believed under control
I've nothing to sell you,
no body to help lure you in
I don't pander
All I have are these lines,
this nervous heart;
what I hope
is just enough
-Brandon White
Hello Friends,
Here’s another recent piece for you to enjoy or disregard. Sending love to you all.
-Brandon
Hello Friends,
I wanted to take a moment to talk about this book as I haven’t nearly enough.
As I wrote the poems that would become Real Big American Zen, I knew the book would be a tough sell. The idea for the cover featuring my masked face would rub some the wrong way; the title would cause some to assume (wrongly) that the writing would lean to one side of the political aisle or the other, and it would stand as a reminder of a year that most of us would rather forget.
I also felt in my bones that it would be, in some way, disingenuous for me to try and steer the work in a different direction; This was the world I was inhabiting; these were the decisions my family and I faced; this was the feeling of my country and the world teetering on the edge of the unknown and unthinkable.
Fast forward to May of this year, my publisher and I are putting the final product together; we’ve managed to incorporate some of my artwork and photography into the book, and though I’m thrilled with our work, I’d come to realize that significant change was needed in my personal life.
In the two years since my father had passed, I hadn’t been treating myself very well. My mental and physical health had gotten away from me, and I was relying heavily on alcohol to suppress the sadness and rage I felt inside. I knew that significant changes were needed, and there was no time to waste.
Now here we are in late September, and I’m proud to say that I feel I’ve regained some control. I feel happier and healthier than I have in years, and though I’m still learning how to steer my creativity with a clear mind, I know the next chapter will be an exciting one.
One of the casualties of these changes was the promotional efforts for Real Big American Zen. I’m going to attempt righting the ship and shining whatever light I can on this collection of poetry, of which I’m still so proud. In the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sharing pieces from the book, perhaps some readings, as well as my Recent Abstractions series.
If you haven’t purchased a copy, I hope you’ll consider doing so. If you’ve bought and read the book, I hope you’ll consider leaving reviews at Amazon and Goodreads or anywhere else you like.
-Brandon
Hello Friends,
Here’s another new offering from my new series of abstract works. More poetry coming soon as well and progress on book #3 is being made!
Enjoy!
-Brandon
Hello Friends,
Here’s a recent piece for your enjoyment. As far as color goes, this is a bit of a departure from other works in this series. Still, there’s something that calls to me. I hope you hear it too.
Love,
Brandon
The Borders:
In the grand scheme
you were
momentary
and now
I keep you
like a proper poet
at the borders
of the mind,
in flashes
of cold
memory
-Brandon White
Brandon White 