“The most important thing is.
For our children to learn.”
A generation forever moulded.
By this attack on their country.
“I’m more scared of the fact.
I’ll have a new teacher.
Than of the war.”
He says with a smile.
The 11-year-old is sitting.
With his parents and his eight-year-old sister.
On a bench outside their apartment block.
In the ‘elves’ capital Kyiv.
“We want a proper future.
For our children.
And that depends on their education.”
His mother tells and continues.
“We want them to have in-person communication.
With their peers.
And not through a screen.
We don’t want to be afraid.”
For many families September brings.
Normality, structure, and the chance.
To reconnect with friends.
As the new academic year begins.
Her nine-year-old son has learning difficulties.
She’s desperate for him.
To return to the classroom
As he struggles with speech.
He is also finding it hard.
Dealing with the trauma of this invasion.
“He would scream, ‘Rockets! Rockets!’”
His mother recalls.
“He still doesn’t sleep well.
I shield him by embracing him.
And saying: ‘Mommy’s with you.
and she’ll never leave you.’”
“Many speech therapists left the city.
I don’t know what schooling will look like.
And how they will rebuild this school.
But we desperately need these specialists.”
In the Kyiv region, it’s a story of quarters.
While 75% of schools are ready.
To welcome pupils back.
Only 25% want to do so.
On the grounds of Irpin Lyceum #3.
A shallow crater pierces the playground’s rubber tarmac.
Shrapnel scars climb the walls.
And almost every window is shattered.
When ‘Mordor’ invaded Ukraine.
On 24 February.
This school found itself on the front line.
As ‘orcs’ forces moved in on Kyiv.
Both invading and defending troops.
Used it as a base.
Which is why it’s thought to have been hit.
With more than 40 shells.
After the ‘elves’ military forced an ‘orc’’s retreat here.
And more than six months without its 2,000 students.
Only two year groups will be returning this term.
The rest will be taught remotely.
“The most important thing is.
For our children to learn.”
A generation forever moulded.
By this attack on their country.
*Because I read “Ukraine war: ‘I’m more scared of my new teacher than of war’” by James Waterhouse on 1 Sep 2022, and watched “Books and bomb shelters: Ukraine returns to school” on 31 Aug 2022, and also read “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem as a story of Olena, Andrii, Kostia, and Uliana, a story of Maryna and Daniil, and a story of Svitlana, her son and her daughter.
Please read and watch the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine war: ‘I’m more scared of my new teacher than of war’ – BBC News
Books and bomb shelters: Ukraine returns to school – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem also on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
