Messages from the Bombing Range
by Jim Hunter
Category: Poetry

It's a pleasure to be invited to enter deeply into worlds you've never known. From the opening poem, "The Wild Child," in which we trek along side the poet, proceeding south southeast, moving "slowly/on water," over the frozen surface of a creek in interior Alaska, deep inside the bombing range of this collection's title, to the vigorous next-to-last poem, "Cancer," Jim Hunter invites us along. He travels far. He opens his heart. Jim's journey covers not just the "excellent thrilling path" of "The Wild Child"-rich with footprints of wild creatures, shifting weather, a "fingernail moon," and sibilant sounds of the poet's skiis on dry snow-but quickly plunges down "the luge run of philosophy." We see close up the frozen bombing range where helicopters hover, piloted by young men "bug-eyed with night-vision goggles" in the cold Alaska sky. Meanwhile, moose, lynx, and bear run for cover, even the "fox tip-toe." A local trapper waves his patent to his life style" bearing gold seals and notary stamps," as the poet muses on the odd truce between "Generals and Trappers and Others." We meet up with lynx, coyote, and the cold country of an old trapper, who seems to speak for one aspect of the poet and who "wants no more/than more of it." Like the trapper of "Trapper's Lament," Jim too seems to believe that: "The Weather is my brother." And not a gentle sibling! We venture to San Francisco, urban Fairbanks, and Big Sur, too, but Jim's real subject is the deeper and darker terrain of a human heart seeking peace, meaning, happiness, and glimpses of truth. The poems hang together on the music of Jim's warm and witty voice. Come along. Let's ponder Jim's messages with him. Jean Anderson Fairbanks, Alaska Also by Jim Hunter Messages from the Mountains Reader Comments "I like Jim Hunter's poetry...it imparts the tranquility and solitude of far away, remote places along with the sacrifices and dangers which come with being there...the poems bring forth passion and peace...he speaks from the heart about being in the wilderness...puts the burden on each and everyone of us to make our own decisions on where we fit in the environment." Marcy H. Moab, Utah 07-09-02 "Even though we approach poetry from opposite directions: I favor the particular and Jim appears to favor the general, I enjoyed all the poems in Messages From The Bombing Range .... my favorite is "if Not For The Owl At Night"...which strikes me as a perfect poem, one which captures the northern experience: the life within the stillness." Tom Sexton Alaska Poet Laureate 07-06-00 "Mr. Hunter reminds us that we can feel most alive and human in the surroundings where few humans exist. He took me to the wilderness, and I couldn't help but feel both the healing effects and vast aloneness of lengthy journies into the wilds. I completely enjoyed Mr. Hunter's work...the experience ended too soon. I will highly recommend this book to other poetry readers." Westerville, OH October 5, 2002 "It had honest prose and excellent style. I felt it brought out the best in living with nature in Alaska. I feel this poetry book is the Alaskan equal to John Denver's folk music about Colorado." Rock Point, AZ October 8, 2002 "I felt as if I were actually in Alaska with the writer, experiencing the same things he was experiencing. I especially liked the Magic Tree and No Aztec I." Dickson, TN October 1, 2002