A POET TAKING HOME FROM DOVHENKE

The post suggested that a sniper had killed.

The 30-year-old engineer.

His body remained in a field for months.

Before it could be retrieved.

 

“It was autumn.

I knew we had no time to waste.

When winter comes and snow falls.

There would be nothing left of the body.”

 

 

Also from Vinnytsia.

She was searching for her son.

She found a photo of his body.

On an ‘orcs’ Telegram channel in April.

 

‘Orcs’ military personnel post.

On these instant messaging channels.

And they are often the only source.

Of information from occupied areas.

 

Friends of her son called.

To tell her of his death.

Saying he’d died.

At the end of April.

 

That prompted her.

Online search.

When she found the photo.

She called his air force unit.

 

“They said it was fake.

And I shouldn’t be relying on.

The aggressor’s media.

For information.”

 

“They said: ‘We don’t have any document.

Saying that your son has died’.”

She knew he had gone to the frontline.

But not which one.

 

 

The post suggested that a sniper had killed.

The 30-year-old engineer.

His body remained in a field for months.

Before it could be retrieved.

 

“It was autumn.

I knew we had no time to waste.

When winter comes and snow falls.

There would be nothing left of the body.”

 

 

The 59-year-old doctor.

Quit her job.

To focus on finding.

Her son’s body herself.

 

The picture posted on Telegram.

Showed his ID and.

Gave an approximate location.

In eastern Ukraine.

 

With help from another part of the military.

A drone was flown over the site.

And they located his body.

Near the village of Dovhenke.

 

Outside Izyum city.

In eastern Ukraine.

But heavy fighting and the ‘orcs’ occupation.

Kept it off limits.

 

Eventually, there was.

A breakthrough.

Ukraine liberated the village.

In September 2022.

 

 

The post suggested that a sniper had killed.

The 30-year-old engineer.

His body remained in a field for months.

Before it could be retrieved.

 

“It was autumn.

I knew we had no time to waste.

When winter comes and snow falls.

There would be nothing left of the body.”

 

 

She quickly assembled.

A search team with help from.

Local politicians and activists.

As well as the military.

 

Under thick vegetation.

And in an area full of landmines.

They found her son’s body.

Using his military dog tag to identify him.

 

“I felt a load fall.

Off my shoulders.”

His mother says.

Her voice breaking.

 

“You cannot imagine.

What it feels like to be unable to.

Take your son’s body home.

And bury him.”

 

 

The post suggested that a sniper had killed.

The 30-year-old engineer.

His body remained in a field for months.

Before it could be retrieved.

 

“It was autumn.

I knew we had no time to waste.

When winter comes and snow falls.

There would be nothing left of the body.”

 

 

Her son’s body was buried back.

In his home city of Vinnytsia.

“Nothing has changed here.

Since he died.”

 

For her, the fact she found and buried.

Her son has brought no peace.

“My husband and I can’t.

Believe he’s dead.”

 

She adds that she got no support.

From the air force to find him.

Though a general later thanked her.

For finding her son’s body.

 

“I want victory now.

So no other mother.

Finds herself.

In my situation.”

 

 

The post suggested that a sniper had killed.

The 30-year-old engineer.

His body remained in a field for months.

Before it could be retrieved.

 

“It was autumn.

I knew we had no time to waste.

When winter comes and snow falls.

There would be nothing left of the body.”

 

 

*Because I read “Ukraine war: How two mothers retrieved their dead sons from the battlefield” by Anastasiya Gribanova, Ivan Yermakov & Claire Press on 4 Feb 2023, and also “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 Natalya and her son Roman.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:

Ukraine war: How two mothers retrieved their dead sons from the battlefield – BBC News

 

 

**My friend shows you this poem with another my poem together also on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!

Kurama (Japan). Two poems about this news: «How Ukrainian mothers retrieved their dead sons from the battlefield» – Мала Сторінка (storinka.org)

Please join them!