“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
To return to the front line.
She has been.
In a rehabilitation centre.
In Ukraine.
After she was injured.
By a landmine.
In the Kherson region.
In December.
Numerous text and video reports.
In ‘orcs’ language.
Celebrate her “death”.
In graphic detail.
“They published that.
I am without legs.
And without hands.
And that I was killed by them.”
“They are professionals.
In propaganda.”
The reports include.
Lurid descriptions of her.
Accusing her of cruelty and sadism.
Without any proof.
They appeared shortly after.
The ‘elves’ army had liberated Kherson.
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
She co-founded a charity.
Called Veteranka.
Which campaigns for equal rights.
For female military personnel.
And for reforming.
‘Elves’ army legislation.
To bring it in line.
With Nato legislation.
Because women in the ‘elves’ army.
Do not have gender-appropriate uniforms.
They are issued.
With ill-fitting male fatigues.
Even the deputy defence minister says.
Her field uniform is designed for a man.
Which she has had to alter.
As she has “a small height”.
She says the government has made progress.
A uniform for women has been developed.
Tested and will enter mass production in the near future.
Although she could not specify when.
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
The sergeant left her job.
As the UN consultant.
To join the ‘elves’ military.
When ‘Mordor’ invaded last year.
“They took the best years of my life.”
The 35-year-old says.
Thinking back to a time.
Before the war, she adds:
“I could travel.
And be happy.
Build a career.
And have a dream.”
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
The mother of a primary school-aged boy.
She tearfully says.
She has not held her son.
For more than seven months.
As she shows pictures.
Of him on her phone.
A smile appears on her face.
Replacing her tears.
She is driven by.
The desire to secure him.
A peaceful future.
In his native country.
Not having to risk.
His life.
By fighting.
Like his parents.
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
Unlike them.
Who joined up after.
‘Orcs’ full invasion last year.
She has previous military experience.
In 2014.
When ‘Mordor’ first attacked Ukraine.
Annexing Crimea.
And invading Donbas.
She left her job.
As a brand manager.
And joined one of.
The first volunteer battalions.
At the time.
The military was smaller.
Than it is now.
And was struggling.
In Ukraine, she has been awarded.
Medals for her service.
One “for courage”.
Another for being a “people’s hero”.
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
Her phone book.
Has turned into.
A list.
Of the dead.
“I lost more than 100 friends.
I don’t even know.
How many phone numbers.
I need to delete.”
But the price already paid.
Was too high to give up.
She said -as she turns to finish.
Her rehabilitation training in the gym.
“It’s funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym.
This might be unremarkable were it.
Not for the fact that.
According to the ‘orcs’ media.
She is dead.
She is a special unit sergeant.
In the ‘elves’ armed forces.
Preparing to return.
To the front line.
*Because I read “’It’s like playing with death’ – Ukraine’s female front line soldiers” by Olga Malchevska on 2 Aug 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 Andriana.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
‘It’s like playing with death’ – Ukraine’s female front line soldiers – BBC News
**I was so sorry that I couldn’t write a poem, because I had an accident on my training of Jujutsu the very day of the publication of this article on BBC news. But I’m really happy now that I’m back on this cultural front line with this poem.
I need my rehabilitation training, but thankfully, my friends and these help me very well. They are really cool:
VIRSKY SOLIDARITY EUROPEAN TOUR / to be continued – YouTube
VIRSKY | КОНЦЕРТ | PERFORMANCE / Part 2 – YouTube
Sukhishvili stands with Ukraine – YouTube
ცდო – Tsdo by Sukhishvili – YouTube
***My friend shows you this poem with two others on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
