Poetry

When the Sun Turns Red is a cry from the heart of women residing in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon who have borne the physical and psychological pains of war.

The foremost English critic, Matthew Arnold, once observed that “poetry is, at bottom, a criticism of life; that the greatness of a poet lies in his (her) powerful and beautiful application of ideas to life; to the question: How do we live?” Arnold here simply meant that poetry should be relevant to the lives of people and shouldn’t be far-fetched as to have no direct contact with humankind. This observation aptly applies to Beatrice Fri Bime’s Shades of Sorrow, Tears and Laughter; a poetic tapestry of 66 pieces of varying length rendered in 12 shades of unequal length. Here, Fri Bime’s appealing lyricism, her uniquely simple but witty voice, invites an engagement with issues that pertain to life; to all of life, in her immediate vicinity and beyond.

Escape From Prison is a composition of sounds, feelings, illustrations and rhythms exuding from real life stories, moments of introspection, reflections on the identity of prisoners, the remote causes of loss of freedom, and instances of escapades into a reverie of an ideal, yet attainable world wherein a peaceful mind finds more harmony in nature than in an exacting and artificial society with mediocre standards.