ANOUCHEKA GANGABISSOON - REVIEW OF THE BOOK "DEPTH OF THE RIVER" BY VATSALA RADHAKEESOON

​Anoucheka Gangabissoon is a Primary School Educator in Mauritius.  She writes poetry and short stories as hobby.  She considers writing to be the meaning of her life as she has always been influenced by all the great writers and wishes to be, like them, immortalized in her words.  Her works can be read on poetrysoup.com and she had also appeared in various literary magazines like SETU, Different Truths, Dissident Voice, In Between Hangovers Press, WISH Press, Tuck’s Magazine, Blue Mountain Review, among others.  She has also been published in Duane’s Poetree and also in two anthologies for the Immagine and Poesia group.  Her poems are often placed in free online contests ​Book Review
​The spiritualist in me was absolutely delighted when I came across Vatsala’s collection of poems, in the Depth of the River.  In this collection, we can see clearly the poet trying to balance her mundane side with her spiritual one.  Of course, armed with a pure and enlightened soul, it is her spirituality which emerges as the mightiest.  We see her total control over life and its illusory aspects when she writes, “O Mind, selfish, lusty impulsive!
      Now, you’re burning in the flames
                                          of Craving’s fire,
                                          Madly, you shout
                                         “Life is meant solely for sensual pleasure”
 
More, she is at peace with her mortal self, which she accepts and love even if she has battled with health issues like Vitiligo, as her very title for that poem is, “Living confidently with Vitiligo.”  Spiritual love, or divine love, then becomes her soothing agent, her therapy.
 
I can fully relate to the deep poems as I do, like her, cling to the love of God.  Reading these, I felt like I did see beyond the clear waters of the river, that I did dare to dive in its waters with Vatsala and admire their depths.  More, I cannot help but appreciate the purity with which she is imbibed of, as I read, “Being Myself.”
 
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry but I am sure anyone who remains awakened in spirituality or anyone who is curious about this topic would love and enjoy the many verses therein.  Reading such transports us on the river of life, on a little boat on which we have been given a seat but which has no captain to steer it.  Life is such, causing us to bear with it, accept it, and of course to reflect about it and to swirl with its mystical side.