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close to the demons in my bed."
Through the art of poetry, NYRD (Neida Y. Reyes Delgado) graces the blank white pages with genuine and raw emotion, a release and cleansing of sorts that is universally relatable. In the compilation, a spectrum of emotions bursts forth, ranging from anger at the most feverish level to simply the pureness of forgiveness. Beyond everything else, the vulnerability and therapeutic nature of the author’s work directly deliver the essence of what it means to be human, the good and the bad.
Whether it is a deeply entrenched bond with her siblings, particularly her sister, or that with her parents, the poet presents a scintillating dichotomy between family and the enduring struggles she finds herself in that leave her teetering on the brink. NYRD is fearless, a determined and resolute voice that owns her actions, her successes, and her shortcomings equally. It is not perfection that she preaches but the potency of companionship. Grief, pain, and a slew of hurt and loss are an inevitable part of the tapestry of human life, yet shared together, the pain is a tad lessened.
In poems like “The Ghost of You,” the structural repetition of “I should have” conveys a distinctive tone of yearning and the nature of fleeting time and, ultimately, perhaps the greatest fear of mankind: being forgotten. Memory plays a pivotal role in NYRD’s work, and in the process, the imagery is harrowing, especially the visions of the urge to paint walls red. Further, the poet’s “wolfine” image speaks directly to defiance, standing up against pain, and battling the world with everything within one’s power. Nevertheless, at the root, the poet reminds audiences that they are all loved and valued, and no matter how loose the definition of sanity gets in this insane world, light always emerges from darkness.