“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
He shows you round the ruins of his home.
In the village of Pavlo-Marianivka.
“Here we had a fireplace.
Where our family gathered.”
The 52-year-old says.
Pointing to a pile of bricks.
And chimney debris.
“It was such a happy time.”
He trails off.
Remembering the old days.
He is having to rebuild.
His entire farm after flood-water hit.
“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
The Kakhovka dam held back.
A vast reservoir that supplied water.
To irrigate farms as well as.
Provided drinking water.
The water reached the roof of his house.
And destroyed his crops.
Before the flood he grew.
Wheat, barley and sunflowers.
And this isn’t the first time.
He has had to start again.
His village was under ‘orcs’ occupation.
For much of 2022.
“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Last autumn we had 250 hectares.
Of grain, ready to harvest.
‘Orcs’ burnt it all.
That was the first blow.”
“Then spring 2023 came.
We gave it our all.
And sowed.
However hard it was.”
“Then the water came.
We were knocked down once again.”
With help from volunteers.
He is building a new house.
Ploughing his fields to prepare.
For the season ahead.
And plans to lay a new water supply.
To help his community.
“Everything will work out.
Life is wonderful.
You can give in.
Or become stronger.”
“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
Two days after you left.
His village of Pavlo-Marianivka.
He received some.
Devastating news.
His 20-year-old son.
Was killed by an explosive.
By the side of a road.
Not far from his home.
He believes.
It was an ‘orc’ munition.
Although there is no way to confirm.
This at the moment.
“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
Despite everything.
That has happened.
He is determined to rebuild.
His life and his farm.
He was too upset to talk straight.
After his son’s death but eventually.
He called you from his courtyard.
Sitting with his back against his tractor.
“My son was someone.
Who could do anything.”
And he vowed to.
Keep strong for his son.
“We have to be strong.
We have to live.
We will make it.
We are good people.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
“Who deserve to live in.
A peaceful and flourishing Ukraine.”
*Because I read “Ukraine dam: Rebuilding shattered lives after Ukraine’s dam collapse” by Viktoriia Zhuhan and Kateryna Khinkulova on 7 Oct 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 Vadym and Ivan.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine dam: Rebuilding shattered lives after Ukraine’s dam collapse – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem with another poem on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
