This book was thirty years in the making. The first poem dates back to May 1974, while the last was set on paper in August 2004. The temptation to publish the book was great, but each time I wanted to do it someone – the voice of one of the many contending characters – would warn me: “Don’t rush thi...

This book was thirty years in the making. The first poem dates back to May 1974, while the last was set on paper in August 2004. The temptation to publish the book was great, but each time I wanted to do it someone – the voice of one of the many contending characters – would warn me: “Don’t rush things!” Constantly postponed, it tended to become the very Book That Never Comes to an End. Nonetheless, in 1998 a fragment – a part of the haiku section – did get published as a single. Since, the LP has turned into a CD. One thing is certain: With Sand Strikes we are no longer at the gates of the East, but at its very core.