john brandi | sky hourse

John Brandi

goes back to my New Mexico days. He used to live near a potter friend of mine in Chimayo. Brandi was a friend of hers. I never met him. He seemed to be always traveling to distant places. But wherever I found a book of his around Taos or Santa Fe, I bought it. They all seemed very personal, truly hand-made, straight from the poet’s heart and hand…SKY HOURSE a particular little treasure, perfect bound, only about 4 x 5 inches, filled with John’s drawings and poems. He wrote a kind of Zen-Southwest haiku poem, and a little more. I have no idea where he is today…Mexico? New Mexico? South America? I’m glad I have some of his books. –norbert blei

Okay, Issa
Alright,
Buson—

I give back
all I stole!

No!

I’m not putting
on a white
shirt, for the sake
of a poem—

who took the prize
today, O
windmill—

sunrise
or sunset: north
wind
or south?

Oh no!

The broom
stands up, &
sweeps me
out of my
own
house

Ah—

that map
the morning after

India,
in your dark
triangle

[from SKY HOURSE, A Tooth of the Time Publication, 1980 300 copies]