Ukrain

Ukraine


The demons came storming
as demons do
 with orders to annihilate the yellow and blue
 on that day, we lost our names. Came to be called by only one- Ukraine

 the demons brought death, death on the ground death from above
they did not come to liberate they came to kill the dove
 From a demented tyrant’s throne, a command was sent
 Kill and rape and maim the innocent

 like some ghastly evil Picasso the demons paint rubble with blood
make chaos where pride and order once stood
munitions make mountains of rubble, there on a rubble hill
a young mother slumps on bloody knees, mute, utterly still

Paralyzed by horror, she cannot feel her torn skin, cannot feel the sun, does not smell the acrid smoke
She clasps her hands between her knees (my eyes go blind to see) and tries  
To see the world through her dead child's open eyes


there are scenes once seen that cannot be erased
the child's torn bones, her bloody face
frozen gaze, the mother feels nothing hears nothing, thinks nothing
is nothing
the responders call “come away, danger there, come away…” she will not stir
 her daughter’s eyes are looking at her

beyond hope, beyond thought, beyond pain
There she kneels on the rubble in the broken heart of Ukraine


(coda)
What good is God if he gave us free will
To ignore the command “Thou Shalt not kill”
From the day it was given, men across the globe ignore it still