‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
Until 1 October.
‘Elves’ were able.
With difficulty.
To move to and fro across the front lines.
From a crossing point at Vasylivka.
On the eastern bank of the Dnipro river.
Some would travel to nearby non-occupied Zaporizhzhia.
To visit relatives, buy food or medicines.
But many left for good.
Carrying what they could with them.
In search of new lives in areas.
Not under ‘orcs’ occupation.
Some travelled on to Europe.
On average, about 1,000 people.
Used to arrive every day.
At a makeshift reception centre.
It’s in the carpark of a DIY superstore.
On the edge of Zaporizhzhia.
Where once emergency workers in yellow hazmat suits.
Attended an exercise in case of possible nuclear disaster.
That figure rose to 1,616.
On 30 September.
With ‘Mordor’’s self-styled “referendums” over.
And annexation being announced in ‘Mordor’.
But then the flow almost stopped.
The following day, 50 people arrived.
On Sunday 2 October.
It was down to just eight.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
Reports from Vasylivka.
Meanwhile spoke of huge lines.
Of people in cars.
Desperate to leave.
“The queue to leave the occupied territories.
Is 4,500 people.”
The mayor of Melitopol said.
From his temporary office in Zaporizhzhia.
“An elderly man died in the queue yesterday.”
Civilians from Melitopol were trying.
Any route they could.
Including through Crimea.
But there were long lines that way too.
“Those who left the east before 1 October.
Managed to cross the passage to Zaporizhzhia.
Within two days.” said someone in Kherson.
“But a friend of mine.
Who left on Thursday is still there.
They have to sleep in their cars.
For the fourth day in a row.”
On Monday, the reception centre in Zaporizhzhia.
Was almost deserted.
The car park where barriers are arranged.
To deal with convoys of vehicles was empty.
There was almost no-one in the large white tent.
Where blankets and clothes were piled up.
Ready to be handed out.
To new arrivals.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
A 19-year-old.
Travelling with his mother, young brother and family cat.
Three of just 43 people.
To arrive that day.
They were all exhausted.
After a four-day trip from their home.
In a village near the port city.
Of Berdyansk.
“It was frightening to get out.
We were afraid we’d encounter.
An ‘orc’ soldier in a bad mood;
That we’d be turned around and sent back home.”
There were other worries too.
Would the soldiers check his phone? His computer?
“After the invasion,” he said.
“I became very pro-‘elves’.”
The family spent nights sleeping in the car.
“It was raining on Sunday.
It was very uncomfortable to sit in the car.”
“All our bones ached.”
“But it was too cold to go outside.”
The family had very little money.
His mother bought food for his younger brother.
But refused to eat any herself.
“People are very tired there.”
He said of the queues.
Around Vasylivka.
“They’re barely surviving.”
“They’re running out.
Of patience and money.
There’s an atmosphere.
Of tiredness and despair.”
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
One of the main holdups since annexation.
Is a new ‘Mordor’’s exit form.
All those who want to leave are obliged.
To complete it online and wait for a reply.
It asks for a lot of information.
Not just the names.
And passport details of applicants.
But their mobile phone and IMEI numbers.
Contact information for their hosts.
Purpose of their trip and details.
Of all relatives living.
In Ukraine.
“Have you ever done?
Military/state service in Ukraine?
From May 2014 to April 2022?”
“If not, specify the reason.”
“Have you been a member of any political parties?
Of NGOs on the territory of Ukraine?”
It’s basically a visa application.
Underlining ‘Mordor’’s insistence.
That this is now an international frontier.
‘Mordor’ was trying to build.
A “state border” at Vasylivka.
Until Friday, no such form existed.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
Its appearance is causing.
Fear and confusion.
Telegram chat groups set up to help people leave.
Are full of anxious questions.
“I’m going with my daughter through Vasylivka.
My husband is in Poland.
Will they let me through with her?
Without his permission?”
“Please help me.
A 20-year-old guy wants to go to hospital.
People say it’s better not to say that.
Who wrote what when applying for a pass.”
“We’ve been sitting near Dneprorudny.
West of Vasylivka, for 4 days.
We’ve not received a response yet.”
And there are other, more domestic concerns too.
“Maybe someone saw a grey young cat?
With green eyes, running around?
He escaped from the car.”
Another woman, posting anonymously.
Spoke of families.
Some of them with babies.
Living in their cars.
Short of food and running out of money.
“In addition to this.
Not far from where cars are parked.
Hostilities are taking place.
Rockets sometimes fly over people.”
For now, movement across the front line.
Is impossible in either direction.
Following last Friday’s rocket attack.
On the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia.
That killed at least 30 civilians.
The authorities in Zaporizhzhia banned all movement.
Into ‘orcs’-controlled territory for an indefinite period.
Citing security concerns.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has sent.
A new Iron Curtain down across.
A vast swathe of territory.
‘Mordor’’s move to annex.
Parts of Ukraine has cut off.
An unknown number of people.
From their own country.
*Because I read “Ukraine war: The families who made it through the new Iron Curtain” on 5 Oct 2022, on the BBC News, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem including a story of Maksym and his family, and complaints of Sofia, Andrii, Viraliy, Olena and more.
Please read the original stories on the BBC news:
Ukraine war: The families who made it through the new Iron Curtain – BBC News
Ukraine: Preparing for the worst as situation at nuclear plant ‘approaches critical’ – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem and other two my poems together about the same resource on the BBC news also on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
