Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
Ghost, the sniping team’s commander.
Takes you to the place.
He calls the “edge of existence”.
Their base on the outskirts of Bakhmut.
“Ghost is my call sign.
When we started bringing terror to Bakhmut.
We got the name.
‘The Ghosts of Bakhmut’.”
Their base is already well within.
The range of ‘orcs’ artillery.
Ghost doesn’t flinch at the crump.
Of a shell landing nearby.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
The Ghosts, a team of around 20 soldiers.
Have been operating on the edges.
Of Bakhmut for the past six months.
They often hunt for high-value targets.
How many ‘orcs’ have his team killed?
“There’s a confirmed number.
524.
Seventy-six of those are mine.”
The team electronically records.
Every shot through the sights.
Of their rifle.
Not everyone’s keeping count though.
The marksman for tonight’s mission says.
“It’s nothing to be proud of.
We’re not killing people.
We’re destroying the enemy”.
Before the war he worked in a factory.
He says he never liked guns.
But felt compelled to take up arms.
When ‘Mordor’ invaded.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
He does one final check.
Of his US-made.
Barrett sniper rifle:
“Each mission is dangerous.”
“When we make a mistake.
The enemy can hit you.
Of course I’m scared.
Only a fool wouldn’t be.”
On tonight’s mission.
He’ll be accompanied by his spotter.
The driver will bring them.
As close as possible to the front line.
From there the two-man team.
Will have to walk.
More than a mile.
To reach their target.
Ghost will remain.
Back at the base.
Along with the rookie.
The youngest member of the team.
Ghost says he’s handpicked.
Every member of the team based on.
Their “humanity and patriotism” rather than.
Their military experience and skills.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
As dusk approaches.
The team climbs into their armoured Humvee.
You will accompany them.
To the drop-off point.
The driver tells you that.
Part of the route is.
Still being targeted.
By ‘orcs’ artillery.
As he starts the engine.
The team all give.
Themselves the sign.
Of the cross.
The driver starts to play.
Some music from his phone.
He says the ‘elves’ rap song.
Gets them in the mood.
But it’ll also mask.
The sound of the shelling.
At first it’s hard to hear.
The explosions nearby.
Because of the rattle.
Of the Humvee.
Which he drives at speed.
Over pot-holed tracks.
But he points to the sky.
Several times and warns.
“Incoming”.
There are a few thuds nearby.
You pass half a dozen wrecked ‘elves’.
Armoured vehicles that weren’t so fortunate.
He points to minefields.
On either side of the dirt track.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
Twenty minutes later.
You come to an abrupt halt.
Close to a ruined house.
The two-man sniper team open the doors.
And they disappear towards a tree line.
The driver shouts out.
“God be with you”.
Before making a fast exit.
As you return.
There’s a flash of orange.
And a louder explosion.
The Humvee starts to rattle even more.
The driver opens his door.
While driving.
To look behind and lets out.
A stream of swear words.
A piece of shrapnel has shredded.
One of the back tyres.
It’s a nerve-wracking hobble.
Back to base.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
When you finally return.
He shows you.
The large piece of jagged metal.
Which tore apart the tyre.
It’s now dark.
And the shelling has subsided.
Inside their base.
They anxiously hold on.
To their radios.
For news from the sniper team.
The driver and the rookie.
Pace the floor.
Ghost makes a phone call.
To his seven-year-old daughter.
She’s on speaker.
When she excitedly shouts.
“I love you daddy”.
It’s a brief burst of normality.
But he’s already taught her.
How to strip a gun.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
Seven hours later.
With little sleep.
It’s time for.
The extraction.
You shelter in the building.
While there’s a volley of incendiary fire.
And then make your way back.
Into the Humvee.
This time it’s dark.
But the driver tries to drive from memory.
Avoiding turning on the headlights.
To attract attention.
Another abrupt halt.
And the two-man sniper team.
Gets back inside.
The Humvee.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
The relief is palpable.
When you get back to their base.
The marksman says:
“One shot, one target.”
Later they show you the video.
From the night-scope.
They say it was.
An ‘orc’ machine-gunner.
Who’d been firing at ‘elves’ troops.
Near the front line.
They’ll rest now.
Until the next night’s mission.
The marksman says:
“I’m happy to be back.
And happy that.
Everyone’s alive”.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
Over the past six months.
Several of the team have been injured.
Including the commander Ghost.
But none of them have been killed.
Ghost says “every trip.
May be our last.
But we’re doing.
A noble deed”.
One small team of snipers.
Won’t win this war.
Or even take back.
The city of Bakhmut.
But they believe.
They’re having an impact.
The driver says it has.
A psychological effect on their enemy.
Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can’t be seen and.
With a sound that can’t be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”
*Because I read “Ukraine war: ‘People call us the Ghosts of Bakhmut’” by Jonathan Beale, defence correspondent on 31 July 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 Ghost, Kuzia, Taras, Kusch, Brit, and the rest of ‘the Ghosts of Bakhmut’.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine war: ‘People call us the Ghosts of Bakhmut’ – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Kurama (Japan). «Poets hunting» — a poem about war in Ukraine – Мала Сторінка (storinka.org)
Please join them!
