Lament For Ukraine

They suddenly barged in their tanks and trucks Covered in various armaments of war. Their vehicles droned, piercing the silence, Cutting deep wounds in that fertile land, And desecrating the once sacred ground. Rockets flew like meteors across the skies; Bullets sprayed from the barrels of the guns. Some found their mark, but some strayed from their path, Leveling all that within their reach stood While fire, smoke, and dust turned day into night. The cries of the wounded were all but drowned By mortars and missiles that hissed above, Spitting out deadly incendiaries, Causing grand monuments to come tumbling down And the once fruitful fields to vomit ash. Scarcely had the blood of the slain been dried, More bodies fell to fertilize the soil; Some were washed, dressed, and decently buried, But some were left to rot in shallow graves-- Unknown, unclaimed, and, oh, unmourned. Innocent souls were expelled from their homes-- Only sanctuaries they had ever known. Clutching the remnants of their former lives, Forced to be crammed in dingy undergrounds, They lived each day in constant fear of death. Oh, how ghastly the scene that war had wrought! How heartless must be he who does not weep To witness such bloodshed and suffering Of a people who just want to make a stand And live safe and free in their borderland*! *The name “Ukraine” likely comes from an old Slavic term for “borderland.” March 23, 2023