James Bradford
James Bradford is an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. His previous verse-writing has elicited a few laughs and faint applause at a number of birthday and anniversary parties, after-rehearsal dinners, and retirement receptions, over the years. With this volume, he has high hopes of being elevated to the position of “Poet Law-reate of Jefferson County.” Depending on how well it is received, his next project may be to rewrite the Alabama Constitution as a series of sonnets.
Poetic Justice
About twenty five years ago, I discovered that poetry was an excellent aid in the nightly task of getting my young daughter to sleep, so that I could finally join my wife for dinner. My tattered Norton Anthology, saved from a college survey course on poetry, proved a valuable resource, and I soon learned which poets and poems were more effective in this endeavor. Chief among them was Tennyson, and, notably, his “Crossing the Bar.” There was just something about its “sunset” and “evening star,” and its rhythm, that helped her sail off into her dreams. Over time, the thought…