“Our elderly ladies.
Can’t pop out.
To the shops.
To get their bread.”
Generators are an increasingly.
Common sight in Ukraine.
The ‘elves’ capital, Kyiv, has been.
Experiencing lengthy power cuts.
She was elected.
By residents of her.
24-storey apartment block.
To help run the building’s facilities.
She says living in tower blocks.
Is not easy because.
Power cuts also mean.
No running water on the upper floors.
“Our elderly ladies.
Can’t pop out.
To the shops.
To get their bread.”
“The lifts are not working either.
So mothers with children.
And disabled people.
Have to wait.”
“They plan their trips outside.
Depending on.
When there is electricity.”
She adds.
“They’ve got to.
Stay indoors.
For six hours.
On end.”
“Our elderly ladies.
Can’t pop out.
To the shops.
To get their bread.”
Such residents.
In tall buildings.
Are stuck inside.
Their sweltering apartments.
Because air conditioning.
Isn’t working.
They are also more exposed.
To ‘orcs’ air strikes.
Because they are unable.
To go to the safety of.
The bomb shelters, which are.
Typically located underground.
“Our elderly ladies.
Can’t pop out.
To the shops.
To get their bread.”
*Because I read “’We’ve learnt to do surgery without electricity’: Ukraine’s power cuts worsen” by Vitaly Shevchenko on 6 Jul 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 Roksolana.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Ukraine war: Ukrainians struggle as power outages worsen (bbc.com)
**My friend kindly shows you this poem in one page of the Ukrainian website for their children and others!
Please join them! You can read my 100 poems here at once.
