Ron Riekki

Ron Riekki is a veteran of Desert Storm, who is still grappling, more than thirty years later, with horrific images that were burned into his brain. A recurring one is a fiery helicopter crash he witnessed, and the "melting bodies" trapped in the aircraft. He writes too, of night terrors, advice from his social workers and therapists, and the PTSD that is so much worse than a "disorder." It is a life-changing, perhaps permanent part of who he is. BLOOD / NOT BLOOD THEN THE GATES is a brutally honest book about the human costs of war and its long-lasting aftereffects. Be forewarned. You will find yourself wincing repeatedly as you read these powerful prose poems.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (mere)