After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
In a carriage from Lviv station.
Heading towards Kyiv.
You meet a short, stocky man.
With an engaging smile.
He is one-armed.
The consequence of a car accident.
Several years ago.
And so his military role is that of a chaplain.
But he is also.
A bringer of gifts.
Delivering presents and treats.
To children living in front-line areas.
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
Since before ‘orcs’ full-scale invasion.
He and his wife have fostered.
Troubled children.
Those from broken families.
And now those displaced by the war.
When the war began.
One of his former foster children.
Wanted to go back.
To his home village.
To care for his mother.
An alcoholic with whom.
He’d had a troubled relationship.
‘Trolls’ forces.
Under the command of.
Top ‘the One’ ally had taken over.
His home village.
“Although an alcoholic.
She was still his mother.
And he went and created.
A small militia in this village.”
“In order to stop the ‘trolls’.
Who began entering there.
And unfortunately.
They found out.”
“After some time.
They shot him.
And they threw him dead.
In a field.”
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
On this journey.
He is heading 816km.
South to Kryvyi Rih.
And from there another three hours.
By road with his friend.
To Kherson.
A city re-taken from the ‘orcs’.
In November 2022.
Together they will distribute.
Gifts in front-line villages.
They stop at a windswept bus stop.
In the countryside.
Where a group.
Of around 20 mothers.
And children.
Has gathered.
There is danger.
From ‘orcs’ shelling.
The war can come crashing down.
At any time.
Yet people cling to their homes.
If you leave.
When do you return?
Do you ever return?
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
One of the mothers.
Organises the meetings.
With the bringers of gifts.
She adamantly refuses to leave.
She adamantly refuses to leave.
Or to send her children away.
“Someone made a law.
That we must evacuate the children.”
“As our village is in red zone.
But when I ask them.
‘Are you going to be responsible?
For my children, if I do it?’”
“They say no.
I did not evacuate mine.
I am their mother.
And responsible for them.”
“When he and his friend.
The bringers of gifts come.
It’s like a celebration.
For us and the kids.”
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
A girl of around 10 years of age.
Comes forward.
He hands her a parcel.
She starts to explain.
What happened.
When the ‘orcs’ attacked.
Her school.
“There were three air strikes at us.”
“We didn’t know what to do.
I was scared.
The window was blown out.
In the room where my sister was.”
As she says the last words.
She begins to cry.
She turns into.
The embrace of her mother.
Who strokes her head.
“There bunny, there.
It will be OK.”
“It will be OK.”
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
He must leave.
There are other villages.
To reach before nightfall.
And much work still to do.
“You know, I have stopped trying.
To understand.
This war long ago.
It takes away the whole life.”
“And even takes away the purpose of it.
So it takes away.
The most important time.
That a child can experience.”
As the war lurches into its third year.
This gentle chaplain tries to create.
Some normality for children.
A place “where they can dream again.”
After so much suffering.
Trauma is everywhere.
And expresses itself.
In different ways.
But it has not erased.
The spirit of kindness.
That was so evident.
Two years ago.
*Because I read “War-weary Ukrainians endure as Russia’s invasion drags on” by Fergal Keane on 14 Feb 2024, 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 Volodymyr, Andriy, Oleksandr, Larysa, Lera and Ola.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
War-weary Ukrainians endure as Russia’s invasion drags on – BBC News
**My friend shows you this poem with two other ones on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
