Author: johnbrandall

John Randall is a writer living in Missouri. His interests include camping, running, walking, cutting and burning wood, messing around with magnets, foraging, and listening to podcasts, many of them about baseball.

Leaving an Empty Bottle of Wine Along the Windowsill of a Canal Boat

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I.

FISA light is
          FISA light is
     knowing what you're
             knowing what you're
 thinking
      thinking.

II.

   I have been in bed
              late at night
          happy where I was.
     When I got up
           the cupboard poured me
                coffee.
        No one else was up yet,
            I was the only person awake
            in the entire world.

III.

    Moscow mule, Moscow million.
 Moscow million, I
          don't want to fight you.
   My country hasn't
                       the troops.
       Contrary to what your man
       read over my shoulder
                    on the plane —
  The soldiers are not feeling the wood, 
    they're felling the wood.
 You know,
           getting ready to write
       really old,
           long-old novels.
     Wire between their
         fingers & wire in
   their brains.   Wire, already,
   on their deforested teeth.

Continue with this poem...

FREE HBO

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1We stayed in a dirty hotel.Rooms along the shoreand we didn’t get sick. 2Just down the streetflew thousands of rare birdsthough I didn’t know it.They’re bringing the trolley back,said someone on local TV. 3The room was hoursas long as we wanted.We both blushed.Our first meal wascigarettesand beerand Rold Golds. 4The second was aThanksgiving fiascoat an … Continue reading FREE HBO

Misc. Haiku 51-55

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51

What’d I write last night?
The morning is coffee
And looking through notebooks

52

Twenty-eight and still too scared
To say thrice into the mirror,
“Bloody Mary?”

53

Moon at an acme
That no company could match —
Din of merger news

54

Kerouac’s best haiku
Were the ones that went
Uncollected

55

A retreat
Into alcoholism, no
Not me

thanks

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      who says this thing is a
                                          value play?

           Sacrifice Sacramento

                bunt play send Santo

   Santa brings christmas

              me with the milk and cookies —

 An old poem w/ coup d'etat in it...

That Old Table with the Orange Chairs

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an ashtray from africa made of elephant’s tuskmaybe not elephant’s tusk    I don’t know    three PBRcans   a trippel   o’mara’s irish cream    seeds: parsley cilantro arugula mint rosemary lavender basil    a plastic slide-loc bagw/ raisins    an empty water glass        which you take    &are filling up now    a napkin   w/ charcoal stains  a spoonthe same remote razor blade   old & dull    razor bladenew & sharp    st. louis football cardinals glass   w/ice cubes   long since past     a dictionary & thesaurus   I justfeel disconnected    it don’t mean much   drink some water   you saycandles  midsummer night’s dream   a flame    how’dyou get “no” outta that?    alexander, no, better this timeandrew jackson   rolled up upon himself    two pairs of glassesthe word games post-dispatch   candle warmer  lamp w/o alampshade  camel lights  notebooks   a waterglass   tourney brackets    nowcrystals   popping   dryingenjoy the bump in the road                 it might be the last.

Leaving Aus-town

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Actually, my knee is aching, and so is my back.  I’ve been packing things.  Got up at 4:34.  The garbage truck.  Did you hear it?  Banging mechanical arm, squealing brakes, beeping as it backs up.  That’s the last time I’ll ever hear it.  I’m drinking some iced coffee.  Ate a slice of toast with peanut butter.  Have showered, taken the pizza box to the trash, updated my blog.  Wow, I’m nearly ready to start drinkin’ again though it’s only 8:50.

Bad heartburn, though.  Need to get some meds for that, pepto or Immodium, Tagamet?  Don’t think I’ve ever had Tagamet.  Drinking some water.  Was not dehydrated this morning although I rinsed out four cans of Guinness, a bottle of pinot grigio, a couple Red Hook IPAs, a Bud Light, a big Lagunitas IPA, and our highball glasses...


The short story continues...

Rush baby

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I gave allof the Red Sox arm bands20 good workouts before I decided:the Chinese equivalent is better. Advertise an earthquake.No one buys painexcept to buy it off.Scramble dollarsto shootparity down.Only organ transplant helicoptersalso die in the process. Eider down,sea level up. The weight you've lostwill grow backlike a hungry neutronwhen the Inuitwear designer sunglassesmade out … Continue reading Rush baby

The Tropics

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Every summer I learn the constellations              over again.         Like tonight  I thought      hey I’ll camp out, let                                     the white light of stars    freckle my forehead.  And under the meshof my tent I think all sorts of things as I oglethose way-out stars.  Where I’ve been lately,and how I came to be here now.  This is     the Dominican Republic, this is New Amsterdam.  This           night a dark little … Continue reading The Tropics

Stand by Me, Later

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Let’s talk socially.The people you live close to can hear you through the hills.I never wanted to bring theto bring the bag of chips to your party toto feel the cold of your doorknob.The bag is empty but for saltat the bottom.       The bottom ispre-hypertension.     So be.Relax.      Digging for pennies underthe porch isn’t a bad idea.Just don’t find … Continue reading Stand by Me, Later