They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
Helped off a bright yellow.
School bus this week.
She told you the home.
She’d had to leave was in ruins.
“They smashed up our houses.
There’s nothing left.”
Her cheeks were bright.
With blusher.
And her lips painted.
But all she had brought.
With her was a few clothes.
And some homemade jam.
Before the war.
She used to cross into.
‘Mordor’ regularly.
To go shopping.
Now ‘orcs’ forces.
Are attacking her home.
“It’s scary.
They’re shelling day and night.”
Police and emergency workers.
Have now rescued.
Hundreds of people.
From the Sumy border area.
Moving them deeper.
Into Ukraine and to safety.
Many are from a cluster of villages.
Around Velyka Pysarivka.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
The bus delivers.
The evacuees.
To the small town.
Of Okhtyrka.
Where the local authorities.
Have turned a kindergarten.
And a school into.
A temporary shelter.
It’s cosy and.
There are psychologists.
Working with children with.
Plenty of smiles and laughter.
But on camp beds.
Laid out inside a classroom.
Older women sit still.
Looking bewildered.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
The first thing you hear.
As you enter the room is.
A plea for more help.
For ‘elves’ soldiers.
“Give them weapons.
To push the ‘orcs’ back.
That’s all we ask!”
“That’s all we ask!”
She says as she leaps up.
To greet you.
“Their planes are dropping.
Bombs on us.”
“And we have nothing.
To knock them out.
Of the sky!”
“We have nothing.”
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
The next outburst is.
One of anger.
At ‘the One’.
Who launched this war.
At ‘the One’.
Who was just officially.
Declared ‘Mordor’’s president.
For a fifth term.
“‘The One’ is our enemy!
He says he will.
Destroy Ukraine!”
She tells you passionately.
And mocks the ‘orcs’ leader’s.
Triumphant re-election.
“He appointed himself!”
“He appointed himself!”
“What did we ever.
Do to him?
But look at how many people.
Have been killed here.”
“How many tortured.
How many people have lost.
Their arms and legs.
And what for?”
As she speaks.
Her elderly mother sobs.
Uncontrollably.
Beside her.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
Looking round.
You realise.
Almost everyone.
In the room is crying.
Many villagers have abandoned.
The Sumy border area.
Since last summer.
As it became more dangerous.
Now, it’s almost impossible to stay.
Images filmed by police rescue teams.
Show streets of detached houses.
In utter ruin.
‘Elves’ say entire streets.
In border villages.
Have been destroyed.
By ‘orcs’ bombardment.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
One possible reason.
For the upsurge in attacks.
Is increased ‘elves’ shelling.
Of Belgorod.
Belgorod is.
The biggest ‘orcs’ city.
Across the border.
There is another reason.
For the increased bombardment.
Just ahead of.
‘The One’’s return.
To the Kremlin.
A group of ‘orcs’ fighters.
Announced an armed incursion.
From Ukraine.
Into their own country.
The self-styled “liberation forces”.
Wanted to show that.
‘The One’ had lost control.
Of his border.
That’s when villagers say.
The military air strikes.
On Velyka Pysarivka began.
On Velyka Pysarivka began.
“The explosions didn’t stop.
For a moment.”
She described life.
In the village then as “hell”.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
They’ve lost everything.
They know and own.
*Because I read “Russia Ukraine war: Fleeing embattled border villages” by Sarah Rainsford on 22 Mar 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, including a story of Nina, a story of Valentyna, and a story of Tetiana.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Russia Ukraine war: Fleeing embattled border villages (bbc.com)
**My friend shows you this poem with three other ones on the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them!
