Perfect place for a poem

Re “A poem less than praiseworthy,” Critic’s Notebook, Jan. 21

I enjoyed Elizabeth Alexander’s poem for the exact same reason Times Book Editor David Ulin seems not to have. I applaud its simple, frank and pensive mood. No flash, just the facts. I felt it communicated the spirit of our embattled country, which will continue to struggle forward into the promise of Tuesday’s “sharp sparkle.”

As for the reading being placed at the wrong part of the program, Alexander’s final line, “praise song for walking forward in that light,” seemed to me to be placed at the perfect point. Coming after the president’s speech, it was a call to all to continue to get up each day and put one foot in front of the other.

Linda Harmon

Ojai