I heard him then, for I had just
Completed my design
To keep the Menai bridge from rust
By boiling it in wine.
I thanked him much for telling me
The way he got his wealth,
But chiefly for his wish that he
Might drink my noble health.
And now, if e’er by chance I put
My fingers into glue,
Or madly squeeze a right-hand foot
Into a left-hand shoe,
Or if I drop upon my toe
A very heavy weight,
I weep, for it reminds me so,
Of that old man I used to know –
In an open letter.
To ‘the One’.
‘Gandalf the Green’ proposed.
Holding a face-to-face meeting.
To discuss ways.
Of ending the war.
To discuss ways.
Of ending the war.
‘I’ll tell thee everything I can;
There’s little to relate,
I saw an aged aged man,
A-sitting on a gate.
“Who are you, aged man?” I said.
“And how is it you live?”
And his answer trickled through my head
Like water through a sieve.
“Ukraine proposes.
Ending the war.
Through talks.
Between us and you.”
“I propose that we meet.”
‘Gandalf the Green’ emphasised.
In the address published.
On the evening of 4 June.
But I was thinking of a plan
To dye one’s whiskers green,
And always use so large a fan
That they could not be seen.
So, having no reply to give
To what the old man said,
I cried, “Come, tell me how you live!”
And thumped him on the head.
“I propose that.
We set a specific date.
For the meeting.”
He stated.
‘Gandalf the Green’ said that.
The meeting could.
Take place.
In a third country.
Among the possible venues.
He mentioned Switzerland.
Turkey and countries.
In the Arab world.
But I was thinking of a way
To feed oneself on batter,
And so go on from day to day
Getting a little fatter.
I shook him well from side to side,
Until his face was blue:
“Come, tell me how you live,” I cried,
“And what is it you do!”
According to him.
Ukraine is prepared to.
Completely cease hostilities for.
The duration of the negotiations.
“With your war.
You have forever divided.
Ukraine and ‘Mordor’.
The front line is now.”
“The front line is now.
The line from which.
Diplomacy must begin.”
‘Gandalf the Green’ emphasised.
Whose look was mild,
whose speech was slow,
Whose hair was whiter than the snow,
Whose face was very like a crow,
With eyes, like cinders, all aglow,
Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
“Everyone has heard.
Your representatives saying.
With a smile.”
With a smile.”
“That I could supposedly.
Come to Moscow.
But after 26 years.
Like this.”
“An ‘elves’ leader.
Has no business.
In your capital.
Just as an ‘orcs’ leader.”
“Just as an ‘orcs’ leader.
Has no business.
In Kyiv.”
He stressed.
With eyes, like cinders, all aglow,
Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
As if his mouth were full of dough,
Who snorted like a buffalo –
That summer evening, long ago,
A-sitting on a gate.’
The open letter also contained.
Strong statements.
Directed at ‘the One’.
Directed at ‘the One’.
The war he has unleashed.
And its consequences.
In particular.
‘Gandalf the Green’ said that.
‘The One’’s 26 years.
In power had “completely.
Changed the agenda in relations.
Between Ukraine and ‘Mordor’”.
‘I’ll tell thee everything I can;
There’s little to relate,
I saw an aged aged man,
A-sitting on a gate.
“Who are you, aged man?” I said.
“And how is it you live?”
And his answer trickled through my head
Like water through a sieve.
“You have spent almost.
Half of your 26 years.
In power in ‘Mordor’.
Waging war against Ukraine.”
“Whatever you may.
Say about NATO.
Geopolitics and.
The ‘orcs’ language.”
“This war is.
Your personal choice.
– a war without.
Any real cause.”
“That is exactly.
How history will.
Remember it.”
Said ‘Gandalf the Green’.
But I was thinking of a plan
To dye one’s whiskers green,
And always use so large a fan
That they could not be seen.
So, having no reply to give
To what the old man said,
I cried, “Come, tell me how you live!”
And thumped him on the head.
“We often hear that.
The war suits you.
Of course, not when.”
Of course, not when.”
“It comes to the security.
Of your residence.
In Valdai or.
The parade in Moscow.”
“Your own life is.
Precious to you.
But now we can all see that.
This is finally ceasing.”
“This is finally ceasing.
To suit the ‘orcs’.
– the fact that the war is.
Bringing ‘Mordor’.”
“– the fact that the war is.
Bringing ‘Mordor’.
More and more.
Negative consequences.”
But I was thinking of a way
To feed oneself on batter,
And so go on from day to day
Getting a little fatter.
I shook him well from side to side,
Until his face was blue:
“Come, tell me how you live,” I cried,
“And what is it you do!”
“You will not have.
Enough money or.
Political clout to.
Continue buying.”
“The loyalty of.
The ‘orcs’ people.
As you have done.
For 26 years.”
“We will do everything.
To ensure the world.
Takes care of this.”
‘Gandalf the Green’ assured.
Whose look was mild,
whose speech was slow,
Whose hair was whiter than the snow,
Whose face was very like a crow,
With eyes, like cinders, all aglow,
Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
He also cited.
‘Orcs’ casualties in May.
“That’s another 30,000 ‘orcs’.
Killed or seriously wounded.”
“We’ve been recording.
Exactly this figure.
Every month.”
Every month.”
“And we have video evidence.
For every single one.
Of your casualties.
– this isn’t just empty talk.”
With eyes, like cinders, all aglow,
Who seemed distracted with his woe,
Who rocked his body to and fro,
And muttered mumblingly and low,
As if his mouth were full of dough,
Who snorted like a buffalo –
That summer evening, long ago,
A-sitting on a gate.’
According to him.
63 per cent of.
These casualties are those killed.
And 37 per cent are wounded.
“The proportion of.
Those killed will.
Rise in future.”
‘Gandalf the Green’ warned.
“Do not be afraid.
To end the war.
– that is the most important thing.
Required of you right now.”
‘I’ll tell thee everything I can;
There’s little to relate,
I saw an aged aged man,
A-sitting on a gate.
“Who are you, aged man?” I said.
“And how is it you live?”
And his answer trickled through my head
Like water through a sieve.
‘Orcs’ news agencies.
Report that the Kremlin.
Has taken note of.
‘Gandalf the Green’’s open letter.
The Kremlin spokesperson said.
That the official position.
Would be announced.
At a later date.
It appears from his comments that.
As of the evening of 4 June.
‘The One’ had not yet.
Been briefed.
On the contents.
Of the letter.
On the contents.
Of the letter.
As the spokesperson said.
This will happen once.
Talks with the President of.
Uzbekistan have concluded.
He said “I look for butterflies
That sleep among the wheat:
I make them into mutton-pies,
And sell them in the street.
I sell them unto men,” he said,
“Who sail on stormy seas;
And that’s the way I get my bread –
A trifle, if you please.”
On the morning of 5 June.
He reported that.
‘The One’ had been briefed on.
The ‘Gandalf the Green’’s letter.
“The Kremlin hopes that.
The pause in the negotiation process.
Regarding Ukraine.
Will be broken.”
The state news agency quoted.
The spokesperson as saying.
He reiterated what had already.
Been said previously.
– that a face-to-face meeting.
Between the presidents.
Could take place.
In Moscow.
If ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Agreed to travel there.
If ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Agreed to travel there.
But I was thinking of a plan
To dye one’s whiskers green,
And always use so large a fan
That they could not be seen.
So, having no reply to give
To what the old man said,
I cried, “Come, tell me how you live!”
And thumped him on the head.
On the same day.
Speaking to foreign journalists.
‘The One’ said he was.
Ready for bilateral talks.
He also commented.
At length on Kyiv’s strikes.
On St Petersburg and.
Moscow’s use of ‘Oreshnik’ missiles.
This press conference.
Took place before.
The publication of.
‘Gandalf the Green’’s open letter.
His accents mild took up the tale:
He said “I go my ways,
And when I find a mountain-rill,
I set it in a blaze;
And thence they make a stuff they call
Rowland’s Macassar Oil –
Yet twopence-halfpenny is all
They give me for my toil.”
At the same time.
‘The One’ reiterated that.
These negotiations must be based.
On the US-‘Mordor’ agreements.
Reached in Anchorage.
‘The One’ also said that.
The signing of documents.
Is only possible.
With a “legitimate representative”.
Of the ‘elves’ authorities.
With a “legitimate representative”.
Of the ‘elves’ authorities.
But I was thinking of a way
To feed oneself on batter,
And so go on from day to day
Getting a little fatter.
I shook him well from side to side,
Until his face was blue:
“Come, tell me how you live,” I cried,
“And what is it you do!”
“In theory.
This could be the Speaker of.
The Verkhovna Rada or.
‘Gandalf the Green’ himself.”
“But at the moment.
His legitimacy is in question.”
‘The One’ said.
Referring to the fact that.
No elections have been held.
In Ukraine.
No elections have been held.
In Ukraine.
He said “I hunt for haddocks’ eyes
Among the heather bright,
And work them into waistcoat-buttons
In the silent night.
And these I do not sell for gold
Or coin of silvery shine,
But for a copper halfpenny,
And that will purchase nine.
When asked what.
He would say to.
‘Gandalf the Green’ if.
‘Gandalf the Green’ if.
The conflict were to end.
‘The One’ replied:
“Thank God it’s all over.”
“Thank God it’s all over.”
“I sometimes dig for buttered rolls,
Or set limed twigs for crabs;
I sometimes search the grassy knolls
For wheels of Hansom-cabs.
And that’s the way” (he gave a wink)
“By which I get my wealth –
And very gladly will I drink
Your Honour’s noble health.”
‘That would be good.’
Replied the US President.
When asked by journalists about.
‘Gandalf the Green’’s open letter.
To ‘the One’.
Proposing a meeting.
To agree on an end.
To the war.
I heard him then, for I had just
Completed my design
To keep the Menai bridge from rust
By boiling it in wine.
I thanked him much for telling me
The way he got his wealth,
But chiefly for his wish that he
Might drink my noble health.
“I’m glad they seem to be.
Talking about a meeting.
I think we’ve played.
A big part in this.”
“I think it would be wonderful.
If they met.
It’s about time they did;
It’s time to resolve the issue.”
And now, if e’er by chance I put
My fingers into glue,
Or madly squeeze a right-hand foot
Into a left-hand shoe,
Or if I drop upon my toe
A very heavy weight,
I weep, for it reminds me so,
Of that old man I used to know –
“They will both need.
To make compromises.
I have proposed these.
Compromises and, you know.”
“We have played.
A major role here.”
Added the US President.
Without explaining.
What compromises.
He had in mind.
What compromises.
He had in mind.
I heard him then, for I had just
Completed my design
To keep the Menai bridge from rust
By boiling it in wine.
I thanked him much for telling me
The way he got his wealth,
But chiefly for his wish that he
Might drink my noble health.
And now, if e’er by chance I put
My fingers into glue,
Or madly squeeze a right-hand foot
Into a left-hand shoe,
Or if I drop upon my toe
A very heavy weight,
I weep, for it reminds me so,
Of that old man I used to know –
*Because I read “Зеленський у відкритому листі Путіну: “Не бійтеся вийти з війни, це головне, що зараз від вас потрібно” (“Zelenskyy in an open letter to Putin: “Do not be afraid to get out of the war, this is the main thing that is required of you now”) on 4 Jun 2026, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, led by ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, and ‘Resolution and Independence’ written by William Wordsworth, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news Ukraine:
