Wind Night Love Leaves (The Four Books)

* A Self Interview Craft Essay on Books and Future Work Plan 

Brian Michael Barbeito

January, 2025

I sit at my window and the words fly past me like birds —with God’s help I catch some.

-Jean Rhys

Wide Sargasso Sea

literary map book abbreviation legend:

Wind: Still Some Crazy Summer Wind Coming Through

Night: When I Hear the Night

Love: The Book of Love and Mourning

Leaves: Exile in Autumn, The Karma of the Leaves 

How I feel about it currently is that there should be four books at the least. One, Wind, is already in existence. It is published by Dark Winter Press who did an excellent job and it came out in July 2024. It is a book of prose poems and photography and has three official reviews, plus a positive reception overall. The book’s introduction, a fantastic summary of the work, is by Cristina Deptula and the volume is dedicated to Tara. I am happy with the content and what I call the physicality of the book (how it feels and looks as an actual thing), its overall existential aesthetic.  

Dark Winter Press has agreed to publish the next book, called When I Hear the Night. Night is scheduled to be released in January of 2026. The manuscript is complete and the press has it. I am waiting for an introduction by a Vancouver based editor that wrote a highly perceptive and insightful review for Wind. But, yes, other than that said review, the manuscript is complete. Night, as with the four books I am talking about here, will all have similar formats. This includes cover art and back art by me, my prose poems and photography of course, a dedication page and quote page, and an introduction by someone competent and obviously sympathetic to the work. 

The third instalment in these four books, The Book of Love and Mourning, has the writing part of the manuscript done. These books are prose poem books, each writing approximately two thirds of a page. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. I will still have to pick the photos to go with the writings. I have sometimes been asked about the functions of these art forms, meaning which I practice primarily or if I give equal time and importance to both of them. Actually, I am primarily a poet/writer. In heart, in time spent at craft, in what I think about. In identity. I would like to mention here that each book is titled in accordance and inspiration from one of the writings within the text. For instance, there is a piece to be found in each manuscript that I drew the title of the entire work from. I like this, how it helps bring each entire book together thematically. Hopefully, Dark Winter Press will continue to work with me on this third book and the fourth one also. It would be nice to have a sense of uniformity and publishing stability for all of these projects. 

Exile in Autumn, The Karma of the Leaves, or ‘Leaves,’ would be the fourth installment in the prose poem photography books. If things continue as they are, with me writing and photographing each and every day, there will be more than enough poems and pictures to make up this book. I would ideally still have the involvement with the publisher, Dark Winter Press, and continue the format. As with the third book, Love, I would have to find someone who would be interested in writing an introduction. My thoughts about introductions are that they are a fine thing, grounding the reader in a sense of what they are about to embark upon. 

I would describe the overall writing as a celebration of nature and also a portrait of the unique spiritual journey. Unique simply because not all embark on it, and also because of those who do, each spiritual path has its own nuances, characters, its own stories. I would describe the photography as lauding the look of unique angles and light, mostly of phenomenon like pastoral vistas and also close things like flower petals. 

In conclusion, I am about two-thirds through the work of the prose poems and photos that will compile four books. This is a good place to be at as a poet and photographer. I am happy with the format and content of what has already arrived, what is waiting, and what is and will be in the works. Wind, Night, Love, and Leaves. In this brief writing I will include the four front covers. 

——-

Video: One Man’s Deep Words

First of all, an announcement from contributor Chimezie Ihekuna, who is seeking an investor/executive producer for the project, One Man’s Deep Words. It is set in the US.

Produced By Vincent Turner, Developed By Robert Sacchi, 115 pages. Phase: Pre-production/Development, Budget Estimation: $23,000-314,000. Pitch deck and budget list available, please email synchchaos@gmail.com if interested.

Charles Griffin, a philosophy professor, is challenged by Adam, one of his students, over his unruly behaviour while lecturing. Though Charles is unhappy lecturing by the books, Adam’s challenge becomes the inspiration behind his nascent philosophy.

Title: Reflective Thinking (Volume 1)

Tracks: 5 (Excluding the Intro, Album title and About The Creator)

Creator: Mr Ben

Album Title and About The Creator

Intro

Track 1: The Current State Of Being

Track 2: Keep Your Head Up

Track 3: Discouragement: A Part Of Success

Track 4: Independence or In Dependence?

Track 5: Death And Life 

(My questions)

Outro

Description of  the Reflective Thinking “album”

This is a conception that delves into the afterthought of what people would not take to consideration. It  “mirrors”  people’s notions but aims at asserting the need to look into the other side of their known thought. It is a call to meditation: looking deeper into what their thoughts reflect.

The Intro part simply explains what results in  actions of anyone (the creator, in particular): the thought process

The Outro segment deals with the creator’s conceived quote, which happens to be his best: “Determination without conception is like reaching a destination without intention”

The Current State Of Being simply explains what the new normal is, resulting from the fact that the world of today is wrong that what’s left isn’t right and what should be right isn’t left

Keep Your Head Up talks about the need for young people to prioritize their health, in the quest of acquiring wealth.

Discouragement: A Part of Success , according to the creator’s Reflective Thinking, puts to recognition: Discouragement is  the inevitable tool few people who become successful use  to attain such feat and maintain or advance it.

Independent or In Dependence? is one situation the creator asserts to address. He maintains that  we, as a people and society, are IN DEPENDENT (NOT INDEPENDENT) of one thing or the other, such as food, government to ascertain the standard and cost of living, politics, education, business, media and so on to validate existence and sovereignty

Death and Life (My Questions): The creator seeks to delve into the “mysteries”, in the form of questioning, of what connects both contradictions, in terms of using various parameters which are rarely depicted by mainstream concerns.

“Mr. Ben is currently seeking acquisition and or licensing of the album.”

See attached the audio files, available for listening and perusal.

snow –
the chirp of a robin
so muffled

come see the skinny-necked sparrow leaving tracks in the snow

Nijinsky brought his own moonlight

and everything else 

was papier-mâché

a caterpillar curled up on the grain of firewood

she tested the strength of the bleach on the tip of her tongue

how the picture of his mother became a mirror for fixing her hair

a congested bear on tv hawking honey-flavored cough syrup

taking turns telling me why I need a Titanium phone

there for her first pickled onion

remembering the birthdays of the dead

it was the strawberries in the shortcake he didn’t like

A Long Way Away

He’s at Lost Sock

About to order a quad

And a crogel

And he realizes that 

The person in front of him

Is someone that

He used to know

From the Peace Corps

Another volunteer

And no one

Says anything

And he isn’t sure

If she recognizes him

But he thinks

She probably does

And as she 

Gets her coffee 

And walks out of 

The coffee shop

He realizes that

Those Peace Corps days

Feel a long way away.

Taylor Dibbert is a writer, journalist, and poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, the poetry collection “Takoma.”

Gaza and the New Year

The world is preoccupied in 

Preparing for the New Year celebrations

The Gazans are engaged in 

Looking for crumbles of bread,

a bottle of potable water,

A shelter from coldness,

And tarpaulin to protect from the rain.

The world launches the fireworks 

That symbolize the so-called civilization

But the Gazan children are killed with the bombshells

That scatter their soft flesh

And the dogs snatch their bodies.

The world turn on the lights and music

That turn the world into deep darkness

And lead to craziness.

While the Gazans have no light

To see each others in tents

And their music is the sound of drones and jets.

The world shares  the beauty of the family

While the Gazans are either homeless or martyrs.

The world feels the warmth of home

But the Gazan children die from the severe coldness.

The world distributes gifts

On children 

However the Gazans’ gifts are heavy lethal bombs and rockets.

That dismember their limbs,

Kill their beloved 

And demolish their homes.

The world gives  children sweets

And the Gazan children receive the white coffins.

The world is celebrating the new beginning of the year

Whilst the Gazans are waiting for the end of their misery.

If you’d like to support poet Ahmed Miqdad and his family at this time, please feel welcome to support and share his GoFundMe here.