Rest In Peace, Danya...

Here she checked herself

in some alarm,

at hearing something

that sounded to her

 

like the puffing of

a large steam-engine

in the wood near them,

though she feared

 

 

‘Mordor’ is stepping up.

Its attacks.

With Shahed drones.

On cities.

 

In western Ukraine.

In western Ukraine.

‘Mordor’ is stepping up.

Its attacks.

 

 

it was more likely

to be a wild beast.

‘Are there any lions or tigers

about here?’ she asked timidly.

 

‘It’s only the Red King

snoring,’ said Tweedledee.

‘Come and look at him!’

the brothers cried,

 

 

On the evening.

Of 11 October.

A Shahed drone struck.

Ivano-Frankivsk again.

 

A Shahed drone struck.

Ivano-Frankivsk again.

Killing three people.

Killing three people.

 

 

and they took each one of

Alice’s hands,

and led her up to where

the King was sleeping.

 

‘Isn’t he a lovely sight?’

said Tweedledum.

Alice couldn’t say

honestly that he was.

 

 

Meanwhile, in Kharkiv.

‘Mordor’ struck a shop.

In the courtyard.

Of a residential block.

 

– three people were.

Also killed there.

And dozens were injured.

‘Mordor’ struck a shop.

 

 

He had a tall

red night-cap on,

with a tassel, and

he was lying crumpled up

 

into a sort of untidy heap,

and snoring loud

– ‘fit to snore his head off!’

as Tweedledum remarked.

 

 

In recent days.

‘Mordor’ has begun.

To target western regions.

More frequently.

 

With rocket-propelled grenades.

And has even struck Lviv.

And has even struck Lviv.

For the first time.

 

 

‘I’m afraid he’ll catch cold

with lying on the damp grass,’

said Alice, who was

a very thoughtful little girl.

 

‘He’s dreaming now,’

said Tweedledee:

‘and what do you think

he’s dreaming about?’

 

 

Whilst just a few weeks ago.

Rocket-propelled grenades.

Were mainly terrorising Kyiv.

And the centre of the country.

 

There are now.

Gradually more strikes.

In the west as well.

In the west as well.

 

 

Alice said, ‘Nobody

can guess that.’

‘Why, about you!’

Tweedledee exclaimed,

 

clapping his hands triumphantly.

‘And if he left off

dreaming about you,

where do you suppose you’d be?’

 

 

Meanwhile.

On the evening.

Of 11 October.

Despite the energy ceasefire.

 

Announced by the US President.

‘Orcs’ struck.

Thermal Power Station No. 5.

In Kharkiv.

 

 

‘Where I am now,

of course,’ said Alice.

‘Not you!’ Tweedledee

retorted contemptuously.

 

‘You’d be nowhere.

Why, you’re only

a sort of thing

in his dream!’

 

 

In recent days.

The ‘orcs’ have also.

Carried out a series of.

Mass killings of civilians.

 

In particular.

Several dozen people.

Were killed in each.

Of the attacks.

 

On Pryluky.

On Zaporizhzhia.

And on Kramatorsk.

Mass killings of civilians.

 

 

‘If that there King was to wake,’

added Tweedledum,

‘you’d go out – bang! –

just like a candle!’

 

‘I shouldn’t!’

Alice exclaimed indignantly.

‘Besides, if I’m only

a sort of thing

 

 

Over the past week.

‘Mordor’ has begun.

To target cities.

In western Ukraine.

 

More effectively.

Attacking Ivano-Frankivsk.

Attacking Ivano-Frankivsk.

On numerous occasions.

 

 

in his dream,

what are you,

I should like to know?’

‘Ditto,’ said Tweedledum.

 

‘Ditto, ditto!’ cried Tweedledee.

He shouted this

so loud that Alice

couldn’t help saying,

 

 

A few days ago.

A few days ago.

One person was killed there.

By a rocket-propelled grenade.

 

And on the evening.

Of 11 October.

Three people were killed.

In a single attack.

 

 

‘Hush! You’ll be

waking him,

I’m afraid,

if you make so much noise.’

 

‘Well, it’s no use your talking

about waking him,’

said Tweedledum,

‘when you’re only

 

 

The mayor reported that.

Civilian infrastructure.

Including a hotel.

Was damaged.

 

In the drone attack.

“It has emerged that.

There are three fatalities.

And one person injured.”

 

 

one of the things

in his dream.

You know very well

you’re not real.’

 

‘I am real!’ said Alice,

and began to cry.

‘I am real!’ said Alice,

and began to cry.

 

 

The mayor wrote.

Posting photos of the damage.

To the grocery shop.

And the bakery section.

 

“Those who have died.

Are servicemen.

Not civilians.

May they rest in peace!”

 

“My condolences.

To their families.”

“My condolences.

To their families.”

 

 

‘You won’t make yourself

a bit realler by crying,’

Tweedledee remarked:

‘there’s nothing to cry about.’

 

‘If I wasn’t real,’ Alice said

 – half-laughing through her tears,

it all seemed so ridiculous –

‘I shouldn’t be able to cry.’

 

 

The authorities state that.

Initially there were.

Two fatalities.

But one of the injured.

 

Later died in hospital.

They were hit by debris.

Later died in hospital.

They were hit by debris.

 

 

‘I hope you don’t suppose

those are real tears?’

Tweedledum interrupted

in a tone of great contempt.

 

‘I know they’re talking nonsense,’

Alice thought to herself:

‘and it’s foolish

to cry about it.’

 

 

In recent days.

Drones have frequently.

Reached the city;

Reached the city;

 

Last night it was attacked.

By at least five drones.

Last night it was attacked.

By at least five drones.

 

At which point.

The mayor spoke of.

The air defence system’s.

Successful response.

 

 

So she brushed away her tears,

and went on

as cheerfully as she could,

‘At any rate

 

I’d better be getting out

of the wood,

for really it’s coming on

very dark.

 

 

Jet-powered drones have also.

Been frequently attacking.

Lutsk, Dubno.

In the Rivne region.

 

And Ternopil.

And Ternopil.

One drone managed.

To reach Lviv.

 

– it was shot down.

In the suburbs.

– it was shot down.

In the suburbs.

 

 

Do you think it’s going to rain?’

Tweedledum spread

a large umbrella over

himself and his brother,

 

and looked up into it.

‘No, I don’t think it is,’

he said: ‘at least

– not under here. Nohow.’

 

 

*Because I read “Росія посилює удари по заходу України – у Івано-Франківську троє загиблих (Russia intensifies strikes on western Ukraine – three dead in Ivano-Frankivsk)” on 11 Oct 2026 on the BBC news Ukraine, 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, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news Ukraine:

Росія посилює удари по заходу України – у Івано-Франківську троє загиблих – BBC News Україна