Just This: New and Selected Poems

by John Brehm

Genres: Poetry

272 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2026

Reviews

[Kimberly D]

When I received Just This, I sank down on the couch and lost track of time. What a beautiful book! I am a long time reader of Brehm, and Just This contains all of my favorites from older books (like “ On the Subway Platform,” “Dear Internal Revenue Service,” “No Day at the Beach” and “Wanting Not Wanting...) The new poems here are breathtaking, harsh and comforting in the same stroke: "I forgive myself /for failing/ to forgive myself." And, as always, Brehm’s humor shines throughout the book. Just This is a "little fire of consciousness," a gift from a great American poet. We readers are lucky to have it.

[John C.]

I highly recommend this book for lovers of poetry and readers drawn to Dharma, the great Mystery of life. John Brehm is my favorite living poet, and this is my favorite of his books. It contains what are for me his best previous poems along with exquisite new ones. John has a unique gift for bringing us face to face with the richest pith of life – the stark reality of our impermanence and the extraordinary beauty hidden in the ordinary. And he brings us there with great warmth, candor, often with brilliant humor. This is a book you will savor for years.

[Carolyn A. Martin]

"Just This" is a treasure chest of poems that invites readers to slow down and savor each piece over and over again. Whether Brehm is writing about the painful (his cancer diagnosis) or the natural world (a blasted tree in a forest), he seems to follow William Matthew's statement, "I am in these poems because I'm in my life." He is fully mindful of that life as he translates each experience into stunning images and engaging language. Anyone who is ready to be delighted by wisdom and wit will love this collection.

[Charles]

This book of poems is my new best friend. I had read another recent book of his poetry, Dharma Talk, and found it to be an excellent book of both dharma and poetry, and I was curious to see more, so when I saw this new and selected publication I thought I'd give it a try. There are so many good poems in this volume, every page brings a new delight. If you like poetry, you'll love this book.

[Kevin]

I got to host John at his reading for this book at Powell's and it was all the things: beautiful, wise, funny, simple, and eye-opening. The new poems (about mortality, doctors, dying) blend well with the other poems selected through Mr. Brehm's lovely body of work. It was an honor to read this.