Becoming a Tree

A child climbs a tree and sprouts leaves from his fingertips – not magic, but imagination. Ancient people drum and play flutes in the echoing caves of Lascaux. A fire-eater in Mexico City goes to work. A Cairo family find treasure in a rubbish dump. Robin Hood turns up in the 21st century and goes online... Becoming a Tree is a collection of poetry with three elements: personal, political and humorous. With a wide range of subject matter and form, its defining feature is its diversity. Becoming a Tree features a selection of people in history, from the tragic young Tsarevitch Alexei, killed by the Bolsheviks, to the noble Simon Bolivar. There’s also a fun section – poems that are playful, off-the-wall, wacky: the poet tames a sabre-tooth tiger; heroic Torvald Longtooth the otter sets off on an adventure to rival The Odyssey. And there is a nonsense poem that Lewis Carroll himself would have admired. Poetry grows out of everyday things – a traffic roundabout, a TV commercial break – and James’ collection features poems intended both for careful contemplation as well as for more light-hearted reading. Becoming a Tree will appeal to both established fans of poetry and those interested in discovering more of the genre.