Lyrical – Brandon White

Their Eyes Beyond

I drive myself crazy
imagining ways
to pierce the veil

How the mind might
be used to fold and tear
the fabric of perception

that one might peek through
to the world beyond
the wool

Consider our limitations,
how few colors and frequencies
the mind can endure

Dare we open our arms
to what we can
only hope to comprehend?

To that which is,
has been,
and will be?

Before you, before I,
known before
we knew

Before the first pair of eyes
set skyward,
before a mind wondered;

What waits for us there?
Or, perhaps more
importantly,

who?

-Brandon White

In a year of incredible uncertainty, one of the few things that brought peace was the reading and writing of poetry. I released my first book of poems, The Year that Stole the Light Away, completed the manuscript for its follow-up (coming soon), and read everything I could get my hands on.

I decided to compile a list of my 10 favorite reads of 2020 as I believe they would be greatly enjoyed by anyone who appreciates the craft. I’ll provide the cover art with links to purchase. I won’t try and explain these collections, as I don’t believe in such things. They stand on their own, ready for you to discover what makes each uniquely powerful. Please note, not all of these were released in 2020 and they appear in no particular order! Enjoy!