by Clara Zibell
Blaring emergency sirens stir me to
Sleep.
Uncontrollable sobs take over.
Only my stupid cat brings me comfort.
My last resort – my only support.
Never did we expect Russia to get this far.
Or at least, to come this fast.
Only last week was I out in Pirogovo,
Now all I’ve got is this lousy photo.
I’d taken Andriy for his fifth birthday.
Austere temples dominated the landscape.
Wooden churches invited us in.
An ode to what once had been.
The windmills stood strong in the wind,
The crisp air blew the hairs off my face.
I’d wrapped my scarf around my nephew,
If only he knew what was to come through.
Ukraine is more than Chernobyl;
More than Europe’s soft cushion against Russia,
And more than England’s supply of handymen.
People don’t know Ukraine.
And now some never will,
Until we realize this is not a drill.
In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, consider making a donation to the Ukrainian army. You can do so using the following link: https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/ or https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/ .
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