Anna, Part One

By River Rietkerk

in you i see myself—
the ways you hide yourself
from the tragedies of this world
that have left you so icy-pearled—
the ways you nurse them
like a hidden gem
in the very folds of your flesh—
a craving of yours to enmesh
before it vacates your desire completely
to accept it nonetheless infinitively

when you convince yourself at last
that you are indeed all alone
and lose all hope in holding fast,
madness begins setting the tone,
as if by chance—
taking tentacular form—
its ghoulish dance—
as you exit the platform
of spiritual clarity
into inhumanity

salvation seems to mock you
as you fathom its teary eyes
and whimper at the preview
of miscarrying the disguise
of your crumbling manic depression
whilst in the throes of enigmatic 

River Rietkerk Biography
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River Rietkerk is a Dutch-Caribbean poet currently based in Ottawa, Canada. His poetry often presents themes rich in spirituality, nature, humanism, philosophy and mental health. He is currently working on publishing a collection of poetry titled, “Untold: Poems That Held Me Together.” Though this collection, River hopes to create a pathway to healing by sharing his personal stories surrounding trauma, masking as coping mechanism, and personal transformation (“metamorphosis”). Some of River’s other interests include cinema, music, dance, cooking and spending time in nature.