Costa Rica – When ex-pat James Just moved from the Pacific Coast of the United States to Costa Rica three years ago, he had earned his reputation as restaurateur, vintner and environmental activist but never imagined ‘poet’ would become a new and fascinating avocation.
Jim has just released his first book of poetry A Year of Days, an evocative collection of daily observations about life with his wife Irina and their two dogs on el Cajón Ridge in the mountains outside of Grecia.
His poetry resonates deeply with all who have found stimulating new lives in Costa Rica.
We feel fresh rhythms of sun and rain and wind. We discover exotic plants and animals. We connect with fellow adventurers from all over the world.
We meet Tico friends, patient and generous with outlanders bringing strange customs and a foreign tongue. We sample local foods and savor an enchanting culture.
We learn to relax and relish la pura vida.
Eye of the poet
Band-tailed pigeons flock
up the valley back
tree top to tree top
glean in the bushes
men chatter in the coffee.
Perched on a ladder
propped steep against 
slope
latex-gloved hands
pluck weeds from
ojo de poeta.
Summer Solstice
Stir fry sizzling in the kitchen
sun straight across flaming
and fading through creeping fog
dropping behind San Luis ridge
as close to Poás as it ever gets
summer solstice
passing unnoticed.
A Year of Days is beautifully illustrated by internationally-renowned artist Gesa Emde (France) whose watercolors and etchings perfectly harmonize with the poems.
A Year of Days is available from:
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YLOV7NU
BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-year-of-days-james-just/1121950818?ean=2940151448567&itm=1&usri=2940151448567
BOOKLOCKER:http://booklocker.com/books/8054.html
ITUNES:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-year-of-days/id1000429473
KOBO:https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-year-of-days-2
