Shame left me like leaves an autumnal
tree as knowledgeable hands with icy
patience inserted a catheter, then wrapped
me in comforting soft cloths and stored
me for the night with the others in the
ward. Rest in peace! The next morning –
Oh, how I looked forward to this moment! –
a cool hand wrapped around my sex, done
a thousand times before, strictly routine,
when the procedure falters in the darkness
of my anatomy and no one knows what to do,
pulls the curtains, calls for help. That’s all I know.
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Katharsis
by Enno de Witt
Enno de Witt’s poetry is firmly rooted in a tradition that goes all the way back to the dawn of language and to his youth on the Dutch North Sea coast. De Witt lives in the medieval city of Deventer on the banks of the river IJssel in The Netherlands. His poetry is published in The Netherlands, the USA and the UK.
