in the crucible of this moment – v4

in the crucible of this moment,
conflicting positions, their posture,
in the gathering storm of trial,
on the front lines, in the trenches,
the start of negotiations, a sham,
a canard, a lie, no seats at the table,
warring factions, enemies colluding,
familiar words rising, treason, betrayal,
in the exigency, the existential threat, terror,
how we have been here before, in our history,
life and death, sovereignty, pulled from the ether,
caught in the swirling maelstrom, the agony,
feeling the ground moving under our feet,
a genocide against these people, martyrs
of this now, this moment, this time of suffering,
knowing the evil that is ascendent, the lies spoken,
positions, lines crossed, far too many lives lost…
 
in the crucible of this moment,
pausing to reflect, to ponder, but no time,
the maelstrom of terror, of genocide, in truth,
a sea change, shifting sands of time, of positions,
swirling around the continent, their nations,
pulling everything out of alignment, disturbing,
a natural order, all sense of balance, of normalcy,
a fight they did not want, the role of a proxy, a pawn,
in between the superpowers in a multi-polar world,
a legacy of history more than the future, what is coming,
a different stage of world history rapidly unfolding, morphing
into a new reality, a manifestation of the times, the goals,
of warring factions, of tribes, of peoples, technology,
more than affinity, collective, swirling, surging rising,
to take the oxygen, the initiative, this moment,
hidden agencies, secrets, unspoken alliances, war,
positions, lines crossed, far too many lives lost…
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Edited February 21, 2025
in the crucible of this moment – v4
 
Edited February 17, 2025
In the crucible of this moment – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/in-crucible-of-this-moment-v3.html
Edited February 17, 2025
Europe must act - v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/europe-must-act-v2.html
Edited February 17, 2025
giving oxygen to Evil – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/giving-oxygen-to-evil-v2.html
Edited February 17, 2025
Negotiating with Evil – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/negotiating-with-evil-v2.html
edited February 15, 2025
Restored Sovereignty – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/restored-sovereignty-v2.html
edited February 15, 2025
Three years of terror, of genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/three-years-of-terror-genocide-v2.html
March 5, 2022
Don’t give Ukraine to the Madman
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/03/dont-give-ukraine-to-madman.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, 2021, 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, Russia, NATO, war, invasion, Putin, terror, genocide, Crimea, 1000 Days, Three Years, Europe,
 
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