in spite of everything #poetry #fear #courage #life #Ukraine #war #Christmas #Kyiv #culture #joy #resolve #courage #NewYear #OleksandraMatviichuk

Courage in the one door closing,
A turn of the calendar’s pages.
Resolve in the face of terror,
Determination, disregarding betrayal,
Unified at all costs…
A people, a nation together,
In spite of everything, standing,
Knowing what they have faced,
Resilient because they must…
 
In spite of everything standing strong,
Determined to persevere, to achieve,
Hope in the struggle, the maelstrom,
Never backing down…
Life continuing always, together,
Standing, kneeling as one people,
United within their territory, their nation,
Until victory is won for their people…
Until a just peace rises like the sun…
 
---------------
December 31, 2025
in spite of everything
 
December 30, 2025 Instagram post by Oleksandra Matviichuk
https://www.instagram.com/p/DS7HP6aDOC3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
·         “@theukrainians proposed naming a word of the year, as leading dictionaries around the world do. Our word of 2025 is ‘despite everything’. It is about character.
Another year of a genocidal war in Europe, launched by Russia to destroy us, is coming to an end. Any illusions that the civilized world would be outraged by such injustice and decisively stop Putin’s imperial ambitions have faded.
Ukraine has found itself at the epicenter of events that will shape a new international order. And despite everything, people in Ukraine continue to fight for even the slightest chance — for themselves and their children — to have the freedom to live without fear of violence and to have a long-term perspective,” — @avalaina_ua head of the @center_for_civil_liberties.
«@theukrainians запронували назвати слово року як це роблять провідні словники світу. Наше слово 2025 року – це «всупереч». І воно про характер.
Закінчується черговий рік геноцидальної війни в Європі, яку розпочала Росія для нашого знищення. Якщо у когось й були ілюзії, що цивілізований світ обуриться такою несправедливістю та рішуче зупинить імперські амбіції Путіна, то вони поблякли. 
Україні випало бути в епіцентрі подій, які визначать новий міжнародний порядок. І всупереч усьому люди в Україні продовжують боротися за найменший шанс для себе та своїх дітей мати свободу жити без страху насильства та мати довгу перспективу на майбутнє», — @avalaina_ua голова @center_for_civil_liberties.
Edited December 27, 2025
Courage to Step Outside – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/12/courage-to-step-outside-v3.html
Images and videos of Christmas celebrations and parades
In Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine and
Erica Kabaeva post on Instagram November 4, 2025
 
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 my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
Poetry, fear, courage, life, Ukraine, war, Christmas, Kyiv, culture, joy, resolve, courage,  New Year,
 
#poetry #fear #courage #life #Ukraine #war #Christmas #Kyiv #culture #joy #resolve #courage #NewYear