Archive List for AS A POET

“Poor, poor children. They haven’t seen. Proper schooling. For three years!”     It has been a while since. Schools were fully functioning. In front-line cities. Like Zaporizhzhia.   Where remote education has been. In place with brief interruptions. Since Covid restrictions were. Introduced in spring 2020.   “This isn’t normal schooling.” Says the head […]

It was a quiet summer morning. In Romny. A provincial town. In northern Ukraine.   As a local headteacher. Left for work. Last Wednesday. She told her husband.   She had to hold. Some meetings. To prepare for. The new term.   Shortly after 10:00 local time. She would be dead. Together with her deputy. […]

As she walks around. Bucha’s building site. Explains this is a project. That will help.   Prepare Ukraine. For the future: “Because reconstruction is. Not just about rehousing people.”     In March 2022. Invading ‘orcs’ troops. Occupied the ‘elves’ town. Of Bucha outside Kyiv.   Leaving a trail of. Death and destruction. Which shocked. […]

From a block. You had thought was empty. A woman emerged. From her damaged flat.   Its walls covered. In scorch marks. “They were bombing. Here for a month.”   “And everything. Got burnt.” Said the woman. Who’s 71.   Extraordinarily. She stayed in her flat. Throughout the terrifying. Battle for Bucha.     She […]

“We were no danger. To the military. We were civilians. Wearing white scarves.”   “We were civilians. Wearing white scarves. To show that.” “It’s very stupid.”     At around 11:00. On 17 March. He and his father. Were cycling.   To Bucha’s. Administration building. Where aid was being. Handed out.   Electricity, gas and. […]

I was visiting my son. In Bucha. And that’s where. I saw the war.   The ‘orcs’ occupiers came. To us on 3 March. We hid in the basement. Of the house.   We were very scared. We didn’t know. What to do. We just sat and waited.   In the evening. We heard that […]

I left Bucha. On the second day. But my parents and sisters. Remained there.   They were held captive. For four days. ‘Orcs’ took people prisoner. As human shields.     For 6 people. ‘Orcs’ gave. 1 can of pate and. 1.5 litres of water.   Dad stood in a line. For the firing squad. […]

The fact that we evacuated. Is a blessing. But my soul and thoughts. Are with Bucha.   And with all. The heroic cities. With the people. Who are trapped.   With the children. Who should not. Be involved. In the war at all.     Those were terrible days. When neither your yard. Nor your […]

‘Orcs’ captured the land. ‘Orcs’ captured, but he’ll be back to. ‘Orcs’ captured the land.     Behind the white walls. Of St Andrew’s Church. Where many were buried in. A mass grave during the occupation.   There is now a memorial wall. Of metal plaques. So far it displays. 509 names.     ‘Orcs’ […]

“I calculated that. I had more chance of surviving. Under shelling than. If I stayed in that cellar.”   “They’d already. Put the gun to my head. What would it cost them. To pull the trigger?”     Across the road. From Camp Radiant. Behind a church spattered. With shrapnel damage.   A corner of […]