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 Lycée Classique de Bafoussam in 1989, he studied at the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon from 1989 until 1993; University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 1993-1995; University of Bénin, 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.