A city once vibrant. Flourishing -

now filled with pain and fear:
Desolate. Such that her belly is emptied: citizens on the run...

Emptied of families once gathered at dinner -

Laughter flowed freely when mouths fed at table -
Borsch and cutlets. Salo and kielbasa.

Where are they now?
Burrowed in bunkers? Or
Buried in rottenness?

Here lie dead bodies bloating on streets:
Russian birds spewed acids on them.

Z jets roared in her skies -
Like stars that died thousand years ago. Now down. Now burnt.
Ashes and smokes: fatal losses -
Brave warriors of watch night hail!

May day! May day! They retreat! Like
A dog with tail between it's legs. Such that
May day happened in February
Enemy drained. War paused...

Drama of talks in field of play
Kaboom in a tete-a-tete
Cocktail of diplomacy. Pretense in display.

O ye corridor, can you grant me exit to safety?
Free from this cacophony:
This denazification. This demilitarization. This deceit
That gurgled our blood.

What will tomorrow unfold?
Thorns and roses or lilies -
Or basket of crimsoned hibiscus?

Dearest Iryna send in flowers from yonder:
Hordes of them to flood me. To fly
To your warm homely hands.