The World is a Bird in Cage

In 2009 when Leon Tuam's book Dieu Pleure
aux Pieds de L'Homme was published, one of his best friends
after congratulating him on the book added, "I hope your
next publication is a novel or an essay... because poetry
has lost readers' favor." Ah, no! the world (this caged
bird) needs the poetry's saw and soothing balm. In these
days, poetry must become the cherished child of the
literature. Injustice, discrimination, selfishness and hate
in our societies keep growing veiling often their faces with
charming masks; conflicts, violence of words, wars and
destruction are strong still. The readers of The World is a
Bird in Cage will understand the uselessness of all these
practices and will urgently make the right decision for the
world. Most of the readers of this book will never be the
same persons after reading it through. That's what this book
is indeed about. When the poets' nets don't stop those
enemies of mankind's blooming and safety, later on, people
always bury them using poetical implements around the
tables. Always through a poetical language can true love,
praises and pains be notably expressed; only through it can
a culture be significantly celebrated. That's what this book
is partly about. Poetry is love; poetry is peace that at
times uses tough words in search of a lasting solution to
problems. Poetry is powerful, and nothing can kill it.
Poetry is a river amid the desert where, even the most
arrogant of animals bends and quenches its thirst at the end
of the day. About the author: Leon Tuam was born in
Cameroon in a very large family. He loved the farm
activities as his parents. From 1984 until 1991 he was
seller of used books after the classes or before; and during
the vacations he used to go to different weekly open-air
markets to sell books. After a degree in Humanities at Lyce
Classique de Bafoussam in 1989, he studied at the University
of Yaound, Cameroon from 1989 until 1993; University of
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 1993-1995; University of Bnin,
Togo 1995-1998. He moved to the USA in 1998. Leon Tuam is a
former student leader, Human Rights activist and author of
seven books in English and French; he is professor of
Spanish and French and currently lives in Massachusetts, USA.