An ‘orcs’ call-up poster.
Urges the local population.
In occupied Melitopol to “defend.
The Motherland, professionally”.
A leaflet, in a tree.
In Crimea shows.
An ‘elf’ woman in a vyshyvanka.
Defiantly saying “Not yours”.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
‘Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jujub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!’
A fifth of ‘elves’ territory.
Is now under ‘orcs’ control.
And for ‘elves’.
Living under occupation.
There seems little chance.
That any future deal.
To end the war.
Will change that.
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
The chessmen were walking about.
Two and two!
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
One thing was certain, that.
The white kitten had nothing to do with it.
The potential dangers.
Are the same.
Whether in Mariupol.
Or Melitopol.
Seized by ‘Mordor’.
Seized by ‘Mordor’.
In the full-scale invasion.
In 2022.
Or in Crimea.
Or in Crimea.
Which was annexed.
Eight years before.
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
The chessmen were walking about.
Two and two!
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
White Pawn to play.
And win in eleven moves.
She chose to stay.
In Melitopol.
When the ‘orcs’ invaded.
Her city.
On 25 February.
2022.
She chose to stay.
In Melitopol.
“Because it is unfair that.
Someone can just come to.
My home and.
Take it out”.
She very soon came to
an open field,
with a wood
on the other side of it:
it looked much darker
than the last wood,
and Alice felt a little timid
about going into it.
She has lived there.
Since birth.
She has lived there.
Since birth.
Midway between.
The Crimean peninsula.
And the regional capital.
Zaporizhzhia.
However,
on second thoughts,
she made up
her mind to go on:
‘for I certainly won’t go back,’
she thought to herself,
and this was the only way
to the Eighth Square.
In recent months.
She has noticed.
A ramping up of not only.
A strict policy.
Of “‘orci’fication”.
In the city.
But of an increased.
Militarisation of.
All spheres of life.
Including in schools.
All spheres of life.
Including in schools.
‘This must be the wood,’
she said thoughtfully to herself,
‘where things have no names.
I wonder
I wonder
what’ll become of my name
when I go in?
I shouldn’t like to lose it at all
She has shared pictures.
Of a billboard.
Promoting conscription.
To young locals.
A school notebook with.
‘The One’’s portrait on it.
And photos and.
A video of pupils.
Wearing ‘orcs’.
Military uniforms.
Instead of the school outfits.
– boys and girls –
And performing.
Military education tasks.
And performing.
Military education tasks.
“Look, look!” she cried,
pointing eagerly.
“There’s the White Queen
running across the country!
She came flying out
of the wood over yonder
– How fast those
Queens can run!”
In Melitopol, she talks of.
Being part of a secret.
Female resistance movement.
Called Zla Mavka.
“To let people know.
That ‘elves’ don’t agree.
With the occupation.
We didn’t call for it.”
“And we will.
Never tolerate it”.
“And we will.
Never tolerate it”.
“There’s some enemy after her,
no doubt,” the King said,
without even looking round.
“That wood’s full of them.”
“But aren’t you going to
run and help her?”
Alice asked, very much surprised
at his talking it so quietly.
She describes her role.
In running the network’s.
Social media accounts.
Which document life.
Which document life.
Under occupation.
And acts like placing.
And acts like placing.
‘Elves’ symbols or leaflets.
In public places.
“To remind other ‘elves’.
That they are not alone”.
“To remind other ‘elves’.
That they are not alone”.
As well as even.
Riskier practices.
“No use, no use!” said the King,
“She runs so fearfully quick.
You might as well try to
catch a Bandersnatch!
But I’ll make
a memorandum about her,
if you like
– She’s a dear good creature,”
“Sometimes we also put.
A laxative in alcohol.
And baked goods.
For the ‘orcs’ soldiers.”
“As a ‘welcome pack’.”
Punishment for.
That kind of act.
Would be severe.
‘Orcs’ occupation authorities.
Treat the ‘elves’ language.
Or anything related to.
Ukraine as extremist.
Howl, howl, howl, howl!
O, you are men of stones:
Had I your tongues and eyes,
I’ld use them so
That heaven’s vault should crack.
She’s gone for ever!
Howl, howl, howl, howl!
O, you are men of stones:
‘Elves’ are well aware of.
What happened to.
A journalist, 27.
Who disappeared.
While investigating allegations.
Of torture prisons.
In eastern Ukraine.
In 2023.
She was held first.
In ‘orcs’-occupied Melitopol.
Before being moved to.
Prison in ‘Mordor’.
We are not the first
We are not the first
Who, with best meaning,
have incurr’d the worst.
For thee, oppressed king,
am I cast down;
Myself could else out-frown
false fortune’s frown.
‘Orcs’ authorities.
Told her family.
She had died in custody.
In September 2024.
Her body was returned.
Earlier this month.
With several organs removed.
And clear signs of torture.
Howl, howl, howl, howl!
O, you are men of stones:
Had I your tongues and eyes,
I’ld use them so
That heaven’s vault should crack.
She’s gone for ever!
Howl, howl, howl, howl!
O, you are men of stones:
Silent disappearance is.
What she fears most:
“When suddenly nobody.
Can find out.”
“When suddenly nobody.
Can find out.
Where you are or.
What’s happened to you.”
She stood silent
for a minute, thinking:
then she suddenly began again.
‘Then it really has happened, after all!
And now, who am I?
I will remember,
if I can!
I’m determined to do it!’
Her network has developed.
A set of tasks.
For new joiners to pass.
To avoid infiltration.
And so far they have managed.
To avoid cyber attacks.
For now they are.
Waiting and watching:
“We cannot take up arms.
And fight back against.
The occupier right now.
But we want at least.”
“But we want at least.
To show that.
Pro-‘elves’ population is here.
And it will also be here”.
“Look, look!” she cried,
pointing eagerly.
“There’s the White Queen
running across the country!
She came flying out
of the wood over yonder
– How fast those
Queens can run!”
She and others.
In Melitopol.
Are following closely.
What is happening in Kyiv.
“Because it is important.
For us to know.
Whether Kyiv is ready.
To fight for us.”
“To fight for us.
Even small steps matter.
We have a rollercoaster.
Of moods here.”
“Many are worried.
Documents might get signed.
That, God forbid, leave us.
Under ‘orcs’ occupation.”
“Under ‘orcs’ occupation.
For even longer.
Because we know what.
‘Mordor’ will do here.”
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
The chessmen were walking about.
Two and two!
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
White Pawn to play.
And win in eleven moves.
The worry for her.
And people close to her.
Is that if Kyiv does agree.
A ceasefire.
It could mean ‘Mordor’.
It could mean ‘Mordor’.
Pursuing the same policy.
As in Crimea.
Erasing ‘elves’ identity and.
Repressing the population.
Erasing ‘elves’ identity and.
Repressing the population.
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
The chessmen were walking about.
Two and two!
Through the Looking-Glass.
And what Alice found there.
One thing was certain, that.
The white kitten had nothing to do with it.
“They’ve already been replacing.
Locals with their people.
But people here are.
Still hopeful.”
“We will continue.
Our resistance.
We’ll just have to be.
More creative”.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
‘Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jujub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!’
A leaflet on a park bench.
Says the Mavka movement.
“Has the power”.
Quoting the famous words.
Of national poet.
Taras Shevchenko:
“Fight and you will overcome”.
“Fight and you will overcome”.
*Because I read “Silent acts of resistance and fear under Russian occupation in Ukraine” by Olga Malchevska on 1 Jun 2025, 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 the stories of Mavkas, led by ‘KING LEAR’ written by William Shakespeare and ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Russian occupation in Ukraine: Silent acts of resistance and fear
