A war of genocide

Acts of terror, of erasure,
a hybrid war of genocide,
seeking to destroy culture,
an existential threat, survival,
bombing icons, treasures, history,
seeking to destroy printing, literature,
even denying the names of their cities,
denying their right to exist…
 
Purposeful evil, terror, war crimes,
systematic erasure, propaganda,
stealing history, denying existence,
appropriating that which isn’t theirs,
claiming their rights, their power,
usurpers in their midst, oppressors,
trying to control, to steal, to diminish,
that which makes them unique…
 
Fighting an aggressor, a false master,
a bully, an empire, a capital rising,
built on terror, the backs of the fallen,
their falsehoods, their fabrications,
a narrative, a lie of conquest, propaganda,
their origin story another’s history,
a good and noble people living,
in power before they came to exist…
 
An amalgam of nations, of subjugation,
centuries of repression, torment, struggle,
pushing the people into slavery, serfdom,
a blood-lust for conquest, for empire,
harsh masters, subordination, defiance,
only seeking dominion, erasure,
not seeing them as their brothers,
not seeing their holy right to exist…
 
Taking what wasn’t, what isn’t theirs,
stealing history, destroying culture,
a bloody war of attrition, of genocide,
today again creating scorched earth,
but These People are rising resolute, resilient,
speaking with power, “never again”,
this time we will fight for independence,
this time we will fight and win…
 
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Edited/ new name January 2, 2025
A war of genocide
 
 
 
Edited December 2, 2024
Stealing History – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/stealing-history-v2.html
&
November 30, 2024
Sacred Days
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/11/sacred-days.html
&
Edited September 6, 2024
Flying from every flagpole – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/flying-from-every-flagpole-v2.html
September 6, 2024
Trampled, beaten, yet unbowed
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/trampled-beaten-yet-unbowed.html
August 27, 2024
The Flag of their Independence
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-flag-of-their-independence.html
National Day of Remembrance – August 29, 2024
Ukraine Independence Day – August 24, 2024
Ukraine National Flag Day – August 23, 2024
&
Edited August 30, 2024
The dead do not yet rest in peace – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dead-do-not-yet-rest-in-peace-v2.html
&
August 29, 2014
Edited August 28, 2024
The whisper of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-whisper-of-dead-v2.html
July 16, 2024
The Sound of Lviv Cemetery
https://x.com/United24media/status/1813323219954241935
X (formerly Twitter) post by United24 Media
edited August 27, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v4.html 
Edited/new name August 27, 2024
Streets of their cities run red with blood
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/streets-of-their-cities-run-red-with.html
Edited August 1, 2024
Resolve personified – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/resolve-personified-v3.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 202 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
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poetry, Ukraine, God, prayer, war, tragedy, terror, genocide, Russia, peace, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Day of Remembrance, Ilovaisk, Poltava, Independence Day, Holodomor, Defenders Day, National Anthem,
 
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #tragedy #terror #genocide #Russia #peace #Poltava #Kharkiv #Kyiv #Lviv #DayofRemembrance #Ilovaisk #FlagDay #remembranceday #Holodomor #Tatar #BabiYar #DefendersDay #IndependenceDay #NationalAnthem