News at Eleven: ABS: A poet is a spokesperson of his or her era.

He or she should break the silence when it comes to oppression. Living on this planet, we are in a constant battle between the dark and the light. A poet should be at the forefront, carrying the torch. He or she is the "warrior of the light". (I borrow this concept from Paulo Coelho, the Brazilian writer).

from Global Voices: East Timor: Abe Barreto Soares' Poetry for Nation Building

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