Dream Kingdom is a fascinating selection of the Gambian poet Tijan M. Sallahs poetry, which in his own words reflects the mystical and mythical basis for all poetry. This book includes selections from most of the poets four collections of poetry: When Africa Was a Young Woman (1980), Kora Land (1989), Dreams of Dusty Roads (1993), and Harrow (unpublished). It also includes some unpublished new poems. The poet notes, the volume is a backward gaze at midlife, a selective stocking
Midlife the poet reflects, is the peak of the mountain of life. I look down and fear the fall. Dreams descend from their unrealism to the ground. The poems in this selection reflect a rich and generous imagination, spanning over twenty five years of poetic artistry, ranging from personal experiences of coping with adversity; ordinary experiences of family, love and friendship relationships; to struggles with African politics; to journeys to Persia and ethical musings on America and global injustices in Bosnia and elsewhere; to intellectual flirtations with the mythic and the mystical. These poems are deceptively simple as they are amazingly rich, and they paint the imaginative world of one of Africas most talented poets of the post-Achebe and Soyinka generation.