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A Note To Putin

Were you not listening? The world was gasping
As you destroyed the homes of civilians,
Destroying villages with indiscriminate bombing,
Displacing hard-working families by the millions?

Now, we learn your soldiers assassinated
In cold blood ordinary folks only trying to survive,
It’s hard to understand the casualties, ill-fated,
We wonder if war-ravaged children can thrive.

Obviously, the war is not going as you planned
News reports tell us of your military in retreat,
All this carnage for an expansion of your land
It appears that you are facing imminent defeat.

With the world’s most despised despotic rulers
Certainly, your name will go down in history –
With Stalin, Hitler, Idi Amin, all depraved monsters
Who are only remembered for deplorable misery.

Written April 5, 2022

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Brian Sambourne

Date: 4/18/2022 7:50:00 AM

A poem with punch + accuracy. Putin will indeed go down in history's blackest books. Best wishes. Brian

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/18/2022 7:58:00 AM

Thanks so much, Brian. It's good to hear from you.

Bill Baker

Date: 4/6/2022 4:47:00 PM

Another timely piece on this atrocity. Thanks for putting current events into poetry, Milt.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/6/2022 6:06:00 PM

You are very welcome, Bill. I appreciate your read and your thoughts on the poem.

Gershon Wolf

Date: 4/5/2022 8:58:00 PM

and the world continue to 'tsk, tsk, tsk -- letting it all play out, as more die every day... The words of Elie Wiesel and so many others - 'Never Again' - ring especially hollow in the West. :) gw

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/5/2022 9:48:00 PM

Thanks for your read and your response, gw. I know how you feel.

Ilene Bauer

Date: 4/5/2022 12:22:00 PM

brilliantly expressed, milton! if only he could read it (not that it would likely make any difference to him, but i don't know if anything would...)

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/5/2022 1:13:00 PM

I'm sure it wouldn't, so it was probably a waste of my pen. Ilene, I suspect he's a psychopath. I can't think of any other reason for such disregard for the lives of innocent people. Did he order the execution of people in the style we are seeing now? I don't know. It's so horrible. He's obviously a madman in the old sense of the word. Apparently, he finally built up enough power and authority to reveal his true plans and his inner nature.

Rico Leffanta

Date: 4/5/2022 11:38:00 AM

Short people seldom have a lofty view . . . .

Rico Leffanta
Date: 4/6/2022 11:21:00 AM

1.7m in press releases, 5'6" in reality - and shrinking every day . . . . .

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/5/2022 11:43:00 AM

So well said, Rico! But I have no idea how tall Putin is.

Tom Cunningham

Date: 4/5/2022 10:44:00 AM

Well said Milton, Putin will always be synonymous with evil, tyranny, and mass murder. He needs to die and soon, humanity does not need his kind, he's an absolute disgrace. Tom

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/5/2022 11:02:00 AM

Oh, I so agree, Tom. I never so hoped anyone had cancer.

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 4/5/2022 10:40:00 AM

I imagine so "With the world’s most despised despotic rulers Certainly, your name will go down in history –"

L Milton Hankins
Date: 4/5/2022 11:03:00 AM

Yes, and I never could figure out why anyone would want to be remembered for carnage and murder, but it appears there are a few such deranged people running around.