You hold each of them closely

I see your deep love for one another,
for each one of your fallen, your comrades,
a part of each one of you, present with you,
gathering your honored dead to you, lovingly,
ever present, today, now, alive, as close as breath…
 
They are part of you, your fabric, your identity,
alive with you now in the present, your fallen
as threads woven in a vyshyvanka, your culture,
hand to heart, to linen, washed in blood,
in their sacrifice for your country…
 
I see how you honor them, in each moment,
in a continuous procession, rituals of memory,
sacred days woven into your collective lives,
how you hold them to you, to your hearts, forever,
ever present, today, now, alive, as close as breath…
 
You hold each of them closely, forever, present,
You do not forget your fallen, your comrades,
their legacy of love, of sacrifice, a bond sustaining,
the honored dead with you, present, living,
in their sacrifice for your country…
 

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Edited March 25, 2025
You hold each of them closely
 
March 25, 2025
Hold each of them closely
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/03/hold-each-of-them-closely.html
March 24, 2025 posts on X:
“The acts of Ukrainians, like kneeling as a funeral procession passes for fallen defenders or the Moment of Honor every morning at 9:00am, or the photographs on gravestones of those lost in this war, all show how love is part of the Ukrainian culture.  
 
Today, I saw a video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlbX7MtEjg/) of Ukrainians women defenders making Ukrainians Easter eggs with a picture of their fallen comrade, combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh on the table. Iryna’s mother led them in the class, making the eggs.
 
All of these are proof Ukraine never was Russia. Their cultures are entirely different. 
 
I commented, “Humanity could learn a lot from Ukraine and Ukrainians on how you keep all of your countrymen and women present today even when they have been lost in this war. It isn't just memory, it is presence, real and current. It is awe inspiring, truly.”
 
As one defender has said, "I hope most countries could adopt the culture of love..." “
&
Edited March 8, 2025
sisters in arms – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/03/sisters-in-arms-v2.html
written after reading post by defender of Ukraine
about serving as a woman in the army,
for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025
February 27, 2025
touching bleeding flesh
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-defender.html
(written by a decorated medic on the front lines in Ukraine)
Edited February 26, 2025
touching bleeding flesh – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-v2.html
"The present memory of that day" is both 2/24/2022 for Ukraine and Ukrainians
and 2/14/1991 for me personally. I am using my experience of detailed visceral
images of lifting the blood and brains of my father to give even a touch of
authenticity to this poem, merging my conversation with one defender and
the words of that other defender yesterday to write "touching bleeding flesh "
&
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
February 25, 2025
Memory of February 24, 2022
as described by defender of Ukraine 
&
edited February 15, 2025
Three years of terror, of genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/three-years-of-terror-genocide-v2.html
Edited January 13, 2025
Sacred Days – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacred-days-v3.html
Edited December 8, 2024
Stealing his identity – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/stealing-his-identity-v2.html
Edited December 2, 2024
Stealing History – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/stealing-history-v2.html
Edited November 29, 2024
Designs of their culture – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/11/designs-of-their-culture-v3.html
Edited September 6, 2024
Flying from every flagpole – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/flying-from-every-flagpole-v2.html
Edited May 24, 2024
A cloak of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-cloak-of-dead-v2.html
In this poem I am trying to convey that the dead of Ukraine,
your heroes, are cloaking every #warrior, as if with a new
Vyshyvanka, against your skin, under the armor, the
white fabric's embroidery have been woven with threads
of the blood of the fallen, protecting each of you.
They are your shield, your invisible armor.
I tried to write the poem in the sh 

#poetry #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine #Defenders #Victory #Peace #GlorytotheHeroes #culture #identity #unity #love #spirit #legacy #TarasShevchenko #Ukrainian #Pysanky #Vyshyvankaape of a
Ukrainian Easter Egg, a Pysanky.
 
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, defenders, victory, peace, Stand With Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes, culture, identity, unity, love, spirit, legacy, Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian, Pysanky, Vyshyvanka,
 
#poetry #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine #Defenders #Victory #Peace #GlorytotheHeroes #culture #identity #unity #love #spirit #legacy #TarasShevchenko #Ukrainian #Pysanky #Vyshyvanka