The Universal Through the Local: Brian Michael Barbeito’s Still Some Crazy Summer Wind Coming Through

(Large dark crow or raven silhouetted against a dark and cloudy sky)

Reviewer- Sabrina Moore

October 22, 2024

Publisher- Dark Winter Press (July, 2024)

Type- Soft Cover Book 

Genre- Prose Poetry and Landscape Photography 

Pages- 125 pages

Language- English

Author- Brian Michael Barbeito

Image From- Page 64, Guru, World, Other

Brian Michael Barbeito’s prose poetry takes readers on a reflective journey, exploring themes of personal displacement and the search for belonging. In works like Can I Find Where I Used to Be and Of Flowers and Polite Complaints, Barbeito delves into nostalgia, loss, and existential questioning.

Barbeito’s style blends narrative and lyrical elements, creating a dreamlike quality that draws readers into his world. His use of natural imagery serves as both a source of comfort and a metaphor for the speaker’s desire to rise above life’s challenges. The “Angel of Time” in, Of Flowers and Polite Complaints, is where the speaker reflects on fate and purpose in the world. Barbeito contrasts beauty with harsh realities, likening the fragility of flowers to the cruelty of life. This balance between beauty and pain gives his prose emotional depth and philosophical insight.

Overall, Barbeito’s prose poetry invites readers to sit with uncertainty and discomfort, while offering moments of hope and spiritual strength. His reflections on the divine and nature reveal a deep introspection, as he searches for peace away from the “base and cruel” world he describes. His work resonates not only for its vivid imagery but also for its honest exploration of existential themes. Through his balance of longing and acceptance, Barbeito captures the universal human experience of seeking meaning in a chaotic world.

Brian Michael Barbeito’s Still Some Crazy Summer Wind Coming Through is available here through Dark Winter Press.